Chapter 317 – Re: United

Day 56

"Elves? Is this. Route you wish. Take?"

"I believe including them will give us more strength, not to mention I would feel bad to not at least give them the option to come with us. I'm sure there will be challenges, but I believe it will be worth it in the end."

"Bad blood. Hate runs deep."

"Yeah. I know. I just hope this fresh start will give them a new perspective. So how are you and Jill holding up?"

"Busy. Jill fights demons. Night. Not giving up. Happy here. I'm watching Jean. Almost there. Tomorrow. Both Groups will be there."

"I wish I could help her. Maybe when we arrive in the next world we can find an actual therapist that can help her. Help all of you, really. So Jean had no more issues?"

"Nothing she. Handle on own. She is stronger. Looks."

"I believe it. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. Will bathe in. Mana pool later. Great for skin and mind."

"Heh, I see that. You do look much more radiant these days, Mom."

"Thank you. Son. Same time tomorrow?"

"As long as the world doesn't catch on fire, then you know it."

After morning coffee with his mother, John roused the entire village to prepare for leaving this world. Under Kichi's supervision, he sent teams of hunters out to capture as many horned rabbits, tri-horned horses, and as many more passive animals as they could so Ruby could attempt to domesticate them. The remainder of the hobgoblins he sent into the mines with Ee; he wanted as much of the fantasy metal they could find dug out of there before they left. He wouldn't be able to replace it on Earth, but if he ever linked My Hero Academia to that world, he might be able to get Mei and Momo to come up with a way to recreate it. Or if he linked The Great Cleric there, they might be able to source the materials from that world.

After delegating everyone, he went to deal with the rabbits, giving himself a mindless task while he thought through everything else that needed to be done before they left. It wasn't all that much, but it would be continuous work, pulling in as many resources as possible before they left. 

He had plans, and contingency plans for those plans. It was all going to lead to growing his power base in all of these worlds going forward, both personal and collective power, to better help him deal with the threats in those worlds. Time was not an issue, as he could grow and develop things over years if he needed to. He was coming to understand something that he had been missing since he joined DEN. There was nothing stopping him from staying in one world for years on end, gaining power, then moving to the next. He had the foundations he needed now; he just needed to develop them.

Xiaolin stayed in each world til she 'died' of old age. Staying with my wives like that, growing our families, getting old alongside them. That would be a good, fulfilling life. I mean, I'm already old... they would just be catching up with me. Unless... I find a way to make them demigods that have long lives too. Stop it. One step at a time.

What he wanted was a base where he could take breaks from the other worlds, and with the government collapsed and him controlling the only cure to his knowledge, he thought High School of the Dead would work out in that regard. He could make it a nexus of his power, branching it to each other world with the Omnigates as he gathered them. Facilitating trade between them all, and building an army to use as required to aid some of these more war-torn worlds. He also wanted to return to that world, DXD, and MHA so he could go through all of the manga and video games so he could find out about these worlds to give him the same edge as most other people had when they came to DEN. 

He was done working with such a handicap that he could easily correct. 

"Ro- John. What am I actually supposed to call you?" A voice said behind him, bringing him out of his thoughts. He turned around to Ruby standing in the doorway of their rabbit pen. She had an annoyed look on her face, her cheeks red and puffed out in exasperation. It honestly made her look more adorable than anything else. 

"Either works, but I would prefer John at this point. Curse magic shouldn't be able to work on me any longer, as I am no longer considered a monster."

"Fine. John. What in the heck did you tell the hobgoblins to do?!? How am I supposed to tame weasels, twin tail hawks, and bears? Bears, John, bears!"

"They brought bears? Seriously?"

"Yes! I almost fainted when they tried to take the net off of them. I can easily kill a bear now, but I can't tame a bear!"

"Really? I bet I can. Want to see if this skill works?"

"You can tame a bear? I should be surprised, but I find I'm not..."

"Come, help me finish up here and then I'll teach you how."

"Seriously?"

"Do you not want to know how to tame a bear?"

"Umm... is this another boon, or are you replacing the one I have? Because I don't want to lose that one."

"It is, but Divine Shield is yours forever as long as you remain devoted to me. I'm still not sure why, but you're devoted enough to have a second boon. This one is called Animal Empath."

"It's because I love you, Ro-John! You are kind, caring, and show both strength and compassion, not to mention you saved my life several times now; why would you be surprised that I fell in love with you!?!" 

"Easy, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that these powers are still new to me, and I'm trying to figure them out."

"I know. I'm sorry for exploding. It’s just that dealing with these new animals all at once is taxing. We need more pens for them, and there isn't much room inside the walls anymore." She replied, then leaned on him. "Sorry for tossing this all on you, but I'm the only one in the village with the farming skill, and managing the plants and the animals at the same time has been rough. Su- Aqua has been taking care of Riana and the other pregnant women, and constructing homes for the newcomers with the rest of her time, leaving me to do most of their work on my own. The few hobgoblins and women left really are not enough to handle it all."

He wrapped his arms around her, giving her a hug she needed. "Well, after we finish here, let's go for a walk together and see if we can work out a short-term solution. After tomorrow, we will have more hands for you. Once we are at the new place, there should be more than enough room to make pastures outside these walls, as I plan on having Riana make another wall to seal in the pass we will be living in, so we will be safe."

"That would be nice. John... can I have a kiss? Or is that too much to ask you?"

"You can have all the kisses you want, darlin'... and anything else. You're my first paladin after all." He replied, pulling her up into his arms, then leaned over and kissed her. Power shot through his body as their lips touched, but he didn't stop at a chaste kiss, pushing his tongue into her mouth. Golden energy surrounded them as they bonded through that simple intimacy, and John felt her devotion to him increasing even further.

The lights died down after a minute, and he broke off the kiss, but didn't put her down. "You are my Paladin now, my will made manifest. Use the power I gave you to protect everything I consider under my purview, and it will never fail you."

"What... what is this skill? Wait? Do I have a new class?"

"That, my dear Paladin Farmer, is my gift to you. You are now empowered by a unique class, with a custom skill just for you and only you. Plot Armour."

<Plot Armour - While fighting on land your liege considers their own, you can will the land itself to rise to fight alongside you.>

<While Plot Armour is active, increases Stats by three letter values>

<Upon attaining this class, gain the following spells>

<Create Elemental Guardian>

<Summon Steed>

<Holy Light>

"John... you're incredible." She said, looking up at him in awe. Her blue eyes now had gold and silver motes floating around her irises, shimmering with the energy he just bestowed on her.

"I'm only incredible because of the people I surround myself with, people who have supported me during my journey. You all deserve a share of my gains as my power grows. I know you have worked tirelessly since you arrived in the village, and this is me showing you my appreciation for your devotion to me and accepting your role even if it isn't as high-profile as some of the others. Use it well."

"I will." She said, embracing him again. He returned the hug and held her for a few minutes, enjoying the peace of the moment before things got busy again. 

He did have to go tame a bear after all.

Day 57

There was a small crowd gathered outside of the mana well, ready to meet with their returning expedition force and meet with the new recruits. Aqua was absent from their arrival because she and the Carpenter were still building more homes for the incoming people, but almost everyone else was here.

He had taken a tour of the completed ones earlier and was impressed, considering most of it was just the pair of them building them, with some aid from the hobgoblins and ogres when heavy things needed to be moved. They were simple multi-unit complexes compared to modern townhomes, but far beyond what most merchants and lower-class nobles would have in this world. They even had crude toilets that fed into a sewer system Ee had dug under them, leading to the town wall, where the waste would feed the plants. Other than simple pads filled with dry grass and sheets they had purchased from the elves, they were unfurnished, but it was something.

"Are you sure you're okay, darling?" John asked Riana. She seemed to have gotten even bigger since yesterday, the bottom of her belly now poking out from under her dress.

"Yep! I think tomorrow is the day they need to come out, so I can still transport everyone today. This is so exciting!" She said, rubbing her belly with a joyous expression.

"Really? Tomorrow, we'll be parents?" 

"Yeah... though... with the amount of power I'll need to handle today... It might be sooner. Are you ready to feed me, or shall I use the mana pool?" She said, floating backwards until her back was pushed up against his chest.

"I'm here for you, darling. Are you ready, Mi? Sato? Lina?" He said, looking over at their guard party on the other side.

"Yes, John. We'll meet them on the other side and guide them back through." Mi replied, hefting her staff. 

"Yes, Milord. Thanks for asking these two to escort me; this belly isn't making it easy to walk around, and fighting some monsters would be out of the question. I'm really jealous that Riana can just float everywhere." Lina added, waddling up beside Mi and Sato. She wasn't quite as far along as Riana, but her small stature made her look just as inflated.

"Hah, yeah. You don't need to worry about a thing. Mi will destroy anything from afar, and I'll smack anything that gets close. We will protect R-John's child and our fellow concubine with our lives." Sato said, placing her hand on Lina's shoulder and smiling down at her.   

"Okay then. Let's do this. Please activate the portal, Riana." He said, then grasped Riana's neck from behind and started to funnel his Ki into her spine. She moaned slightly from his touch, leaning into his grip. A few moments later, a purple portal appeared, and the three women walked through it.  

Why does this have to be so damn kinky? She says she can control this power better like this, but I swear she just wants my hand around her neck... wait... she is a Dorian... a very hyper-sexual being; of course she wants to make it a sex thing.

"Any word from the Elves?" He asked Returner, who was sitting quietly on his shoulder.

"Not yet. I was planning to teleport to the chief's home tonight to check on their progress and do more research on this Yggdrasil he referred to. Mail has been very helpful with that, and has been gathering the pertinent text for me to read. I hope I will have a summary for you to read by the time you wake tomorrow."

"That would be good. I hate being blindsided like that and needing to ad-lib something on the fly. Next time I have a moment with Esseba, I will have a few words for him about dropping a hot potato on me like that without a little warning." He replied, sighing a bit. He wasn't exactly angry about it, just annoyed. It wasn't like they had time to talk about everything on such short notice, but using an ancient elven legend as the lynchpin of his argument was either a stroke of genius or complete desperation. If it wasn't for Xiaolin giving him that moment with Ash so long ago, he would have been completely lost. 

As they waited for the first group, he rubbed Riana's belly with his free hand, feeling their daughters moving around inside of her excitedly as his power was funnelled into her body. It was truly an exciting time for them, and he couldn't wait to meet them. He didn't know if they would grow up like a goblin or a human, or something else entirely.

"My lord, we have everything prepared," Felicia said, walking up and bowing her head to him. Behind her was her sister Alma, and the Provisioner was offloading a cart pulled by Chi. It had pots of soup, some bread, and other food to feed all the newcomers. The rest of the human women were here, except for Jill, who was still guarding the mansion, ready to welcome everyone and guide the new arrivals to their homes.   

"Thank you. I appreciate everything you and your sister have done for us. I'm always happy to have a hot meal made by you two; I can feel the love you put into your cooking." He said, looking down at the beautiful blonde cook.

"It's our pleasure, my lord. We are always ready to serve you." She said, tilting her head to the side with a sweet smile on her face before walking back to continue offloading the cart.

Little John was already rock hard from Riana rubbing her ass against it as she floated in front of him. He could have sworn she wiggled even more as he was talking to Felicia, stirring his lust up even further. He tightened his grip on her neck a little and whispered in her ear. "You're being naughty, you horny Dorian."

"Mmm Hmm... are you really going to punish me, dearie? I felt how you twitched when you looked at her."

"And that's all I will ever do. I already have enough women in my life right now; I don't need a pair of twins on top of that."

"Oh? Are you saying your lust is sated with just us?"

"No... but if I actually sated myself, I would never get anything done. It would just be sex all day, every day. Let's settle in somewhere peacefully before we take that sort of vacation from work."   

"I'll hold you to that. I can't wait to try out your other body next time. I think I like the beard."

"Mmm... you haven't even had these three yet, but you are making me want to put more kids inside of you."

The two of them continued to chat while Riana held the portal open. It took a few more minutes, but then the Monk stepped through the portal, the raven-haired woman followed by a stream of people. John's eyes couldn't help but follow her, his smile widening further as she turned a bit to talk with Angel, showing off her own swollen belly. 

His new people streamed through the portal, and thankfully they weren't all women, but men as well, along with a few families with children of all ages. There were even a few wolf-eared beastfolk, and one red-haired fox woman in little more than rags who drew his eyes a few times, as she had a steel collar around her neck, with a short chain dangling between her full, F-cup breasts. None of them raised their eyes when addressed, and most had scars from whips on their exposed skin. 

"I take it they saved a few slaves on their journey." He mused as more people came through, many of whom had slave collars like that.

"It appears so. Do you want me to take those collars off, Master?" Returner said, her eyes following his own.

"Not yet. Let's get all the information first. I'd rather not pull off their collars if they are actual criminals. If they are innocent, they are now somewhere safe, and we can pull those off once everyone is through." He replied. He would question them first and determine if they were victims, or if there was a legitimate reason they had been enslaved. His eyes drifted back to the fox woman, and he could feel his lust rising even further. 

Damn it. I know and accept I have a thing for beastfolk and demihumans, but this is ridiculous. Her fluffy tail and ears just look so delicious... Damn it, Riana, stop rubbing my cock with your ass like that! You just activated my ejaculation control.

He squeezed her neck a little harder again and pulled her in tight to his body so she couldn't wiggle as much. She just moaned happily, which did nothing to reduce his growing horniness. 

It took some time, but people continued to stream through, followed by carts and wagons loaded with goods for the village, some pulled by oxen and other tall horses that were similar to Clydesdales. Pregnant women from the village continued to pass, greeting him with smiles and a few words, making him happy they'd all made it through safely. 

Finally, Jean and Lina stepped through, followed by Mi and Sato. She looked really odd wearing that bunny suit plate mail, with the belly scales expanded outwards to contain her growing belly. She looked around, then once she spotted him, she made a beeline in his direction. Before he could stop her, she knelt at his feet and bowed her head.

"My Lord. We have returned from our mission."

"Rise, Jean. You and your team have done well. Is this everyone?"

"Yes, my Lord. We have one hundred and forty-three new members for the village, which exceeded all expectations."

"Yeah, I see that. I thought it would have been only a couple dozen at most."

"It's the human armies, my Lord. They levied many young men from the surrounding towns and villages, then seized much of the stored crops to feed themselves, leaving many farmers and villages with not enough food to both see their people fed through the winter and plant next spring. We have a disproportionate amount of young women and elderly people, but they are all willing to work for you. And a whole orphanage as well."

"That's great. We will find a place for them all. Things have changed since you left, but why don't you grab some food, then go and rest. We can talk about that all later. You should have your feet up in your condition, not running around wearing that."

"Hah, I will, my Lord. You have no idea how much we missed the baths here. Speaking of, will... will you join us in the bath later? We can give you details of our journey then."

"Once everyone is squared away, I would be happy to. Riana, you can release the portal now."

"Hmm? Oh, we are done? Sorry, I was just enjoying your touch so much, I forgot what I was doing." She replied, then ended her spell. John released her neck and stepped away from her and walked over to the milling people who were enjoying their soup and taking in their new surroundings.

"Good afternoon, everyone! I am Lord Wayne." He said, raising his voice and activating his Sage Quirk to gain their attention. "Please be at ease here; you are safe within these walls, and no harm will befall you here. There are many hobgoblins, ogres, and half-lords living here in the village, but we live in harmony with humans and other races. More will come in the following days about what is expected of you, but for today, just fill your bellies and rest in the housing that will be provided to you shortly.

Tomorrow after sunrise, gather back here, and we will discuss what the future holds for everyone. Once you have a place to sleep, feel free to explore anywhere within the walls of the village, though the mansion is off limits if you are not invited in by myself or one of the other residents. The same goes for the house behind you where most of the hobgoblins and ogres live.

Until then, if any current residents direct you to do something, please listen, as it will probably be for your own safety. If you have questions or concerns, you can ask the gate guards at either the mansion or the village's gate. You had a long journey, so I won't keep you any longer. So welcome, welcome to your new home. I hope we can make it grow together."

After he finished speaking, a scattering of cheers came from the crowd and some clapping. It wasn't overly enthusiastic, but he wasn't expecting a roaring crowd like at a football game. His eyes drifted to the fox woman again, but he shook his head and walked over to the Tinkerer, the brunette woman waving him down with a ledger in her hand, with a very pregnant Armoursmith standing beside her. He could worry about his lust later; there was work to do.