Harem System In A fantasy World

During the half-day journey, Elion bathed as he had intended to before indulging himself in some long-overdue sleep.

When he woke the next morning, he felt remarkably refreshed. The smaller aches and pains lingering throughout his body had all but vanished, leaving him feeling almost as good as new. After washing his face and stretching his limbs, he instructed one of the servants to bring him some food, which he proceeded to devour mercilessly before bidding good morning to the Saints, who, as expected, had not slept at all.

Alexander, however, still appeared to be resting.

With good reason.

The darkness outside had only just begun fading from the sky.

As Elion finished his meal, a stray thought entered his mind.

’I wonder what happened to Zenovia and Aeron.’

He had initially assumed they would be among the people the island stopped to retrieve along the way, but that had not been the case. He should probably ask someone about them when he has the chance.

He was a little worried.

The last time he had seen them, they had been preparing to investigate an obvious trap, long before he discovered Maya’s true identity as a double agent. Maya had mentioned that Zenovia was still alive during their brief confrontation, but she had said nothing about Aeron.

’I guess I will find out once we reach Haven.’

Elion sighed lightly and pushed the matter aside for now.

He changed into a fresh set of clothes, then tied his hair back into the small ponytail he had recently grown accustomed to wearing. A few loose strands still fell over his forehead, but the overall look suited him rather well.

He smiled at his reflection in the lone mirror inside the room.

"Looking good, if I do say so myself."

Knock. Knock.

A sudden knock sounded from the door.

Elion walked over and opened it, revealing a stern-looking female servant waiting outside.

"Apologies for disturbing your rest, Sir Elion," she said politely. "I have been instructed to inform you that we will be arriving in a few minutes."

Elion nodded lightly and gave her a smile.

"All right. Thank you. I will be out shortly."

The young woman bowed before turning neatly on her heel and walking away.

Elion raised a brow as he watched her leave.

’That’s odd.’

She seemed to be one of the few women he had encountered who were completely impervious to his charms.

Then again, he had noticed that all the servants aboard the floating island were powerful Mages in their own right. Some of them likely possessed a deeply ingrained pride in their abilities and potential, making them less likely to be swayed by the appearance of a handsome hero.

Elion paused.

’Yeah, I doubt that.’

What woman would not want a chance with an esteemed hero?

Perhaps she simply played for the other team. Back in his time, there had been plenty of powerful women who decided that all men were trash and preferred to share their beds with other women instead.

With those pointless thoughts occupying his mind, Elion left the room and made his way back toward the lounge.

Everyone else was already waiting.

He greeted them with a brief nod before moving to stand beside Alexander.

"I heard there is a victory parade being organised for our return," Alexander said quietly.

Then he fell silent again.

Elion did not know how to respond immediately.

It was only natural that news of their victory would spread less than a day after the war was deemed to be coming to a close. Someone in command had probably become excited and told a close friend or relative back home that the fighting was finally over. From there, a few people would have made an effort to confirm the rumours before word inevitably reached the entire city.

The news of Melroy’s death, on the other hand, remained contained within a much smaller group.

Not because anyone was deliberately trying to conceal it, but simply because there had not been enough time for the truth to spread beyond the people aboard the island and the surviving members of the coalition leadership.

No doubt, Alexander would have preferred to mourn his father in peace rather than return to a celebration.

However, as the future king, he would have to endure both.

Kings died during wars all the time. Sometimes, they even died in far less climactic circumstances. But to the people of Haven, the end of this long conflict would feel like the breaking of shackles they had worn for years.

They had every right to celebrate.

Alexander seemed to understand Elion’s line of thought.

"Don’t worry," he said with a faint smile. "It is fine. It is only natural that the people would be joyous now that the war has ended."

Elion looked at him quietly before nodding.

Fenrir and Noctis rose from their seats.

"We have done our part here, Xavier," Fenrir said, a light smile appearing on her face. "I trust you will handle the rest?"

"Of course," Xavier replied with a nod.

"We will be on our way, then. Any further communication between our parties will go through our subordinates."

She gestured toward the group of Sage Mages waiting off to the side. Then both monarchs vanished before everyone’s eyes.

After their departure, the remaining group left the villa. Xavier covered Elion and Alexander with his aura before rising into the cloudy sky, carrying them away from the island with the Sage Mages following closely behind.

For the first time, Elion was able to appreciate the true scale of the floating island beneath them. It was monstrously large.

A flying mass of rock that size should have been impossible to conceal from the people below. Anyone who happened to look up at the right moment would probably think they were witnessing a miracle.

Fortunately, it was still early in the morning. The island drifted high above Haven, partially concealed behind layers of cloud and fading darkness, making it difficult to notice from the ground.

’I wonder what happened to Melroy’s body.’

Perhaps Xavier intended to retrieve it separately after safely delivering Alexander to the palace, or maybe her had stored it away somewhere safe.

As they descended, Elion caught sight of the distant coastline and the dark shimmering waters beyond Haven. Xavier guided them toward the palace’s outer court, where hundreds of people had already gathered below.

An entourage of warriors, nobles, officials, and servants stood waiting to welcome the victors home.

It was a relatively small welcoming party, at least compared to the number of people who would have attended if they had been given more time to prepare.

As they landed before the crowd, Elion immediately noticed a beautiful figure standing near the back.

Her hands were folded together in front of her chest, and her eyes sparkled like twin suns. She was looking directly at him.

Isla.

Elion could see the conflict playing out clearly in her expression. She was struggling to decide whether to maintain her dignity as a princess or abandon all restraint and run straight toward him.

Before she could decide, several armoured guards began shouting a welcoming mantra in unison. Cheers and murmurs spread through the gathered crowd as nobles and soldiers alike greeted the returning victors.

Elion briefly glanced around.

His absence would probably go unnoticed for a few moments. He quietly masked his presence and slipped away.

Xavier noticed the movement from the corner of his eye, but he said nothing.

Elion reappeared behind the crowd and gently tapped Isla on the shoulder.

She had been frowning in bewilderment, no doubt wondering how she had suddenly lost sight of him while he was standing beside her brother only moments earlier.

The instant she felt the tap, she turned around in alarm, and the moment she saw who it was, pure joy spread across her face.

Her eyes sparkled even brighter as she threw herself into his arms.

"Oof!"

Elion caught her gently, wrapping one arm around her slender waist as she looped her arms around his neck and buried her face against him.

"I take it someone missed me very much?" he asked with a chuckle.