147 Gearing Up

After our fun and pleasant moment, we spend a few more minutes just resting on the wide sofa together. Cornelia leans into my side as I brush over her soft tummy and Sirgia lays partially on my chest, receiving gentle pats and brushes while my fingers thread through her beautiful, brown hair. No matter which side I turn my head towards, the evidence of our battle is visible all over the fancy cushions covering the seating. Some of it still leaks out of the dazzling ladies by my sides.

"I think we should get up soon. Unless you two don't mind getting seen in such states. Not to jinx us but this situation just begs for someone to walk into the lobby through the main entrance."

Sirgia giggles and grazes my exposed chest with her petite fingers. "That would certainly be a sight, Master."

Cornelia shivers lightly. "Anything but that. I've lost enough face already. It's a miracle people at the castle aren't looking at me weirdly."

Chuckling a little, I press a tender kiss on her forehead. "You are a talented, smart, and amazing woman and you know it. They know it too. Even though you chose to work in a brothel rather than the castle, you've still helped the kingdom tremendously. No one can take that away from you."

A delicate blush blooms over my lovely magician's cheeks and Cornelia snuggles her face more into my neck. "You are just buttering me up as always…"

"Do I really need to?" I raise a brow at her. "I'm pretty sure you would let me smash even without me telling you pretty words again and again."

She starts lightly smacking my face while huffing at me and I laugh a bit, doing nothing to protect myself. Sirgia giggles from the side at our little scuffle. Contrary to her actions, I can see Cornelia's lips curling into a smile from our casual banter. She loves it as much as I do.

"Alright, alright, spare my face." I catch her wrist and pull it close to place a chaste peck on the back of her hand after she stops flailing it around. "I'm still going to need it to seduce female guests into our little establishment."

Cornelia snorts, rolling her eyes at me. "You mean seduce a dozen of poor, unsuspecting women into your ever-growing harem. Just one look is enough to make any single girl weak in the knees."

I grin at her mischievously. "Does that mean I'm pleasant to look at?"

Some more crimson surfaces over her skin but Cornelia doesn't resume assaulting my face. Instead, she smiles teasingly and pulls me down into a passionate kiss, choosing that way to answer my question. My palm resting on her side snakes down her marvellous skin and ends up reaching her squishy butt. Obviously, I give it an affectionate squeeze, evoking a quiet sigh from my beloved, hazelnut-haired wife.

"Don't let it get to your head, idiot." She smirks at me after we finally part.

"I would never." I smirk back at her. "Now, do my precious ladies require assistance in getting their dazzling bodies all cleaned up?"

"Yes, please," Sirgia answers softly, raising her face to meet my gaze with a barely noticeable tinge of rosiness tainting her cute cheeks.

"I guess I'll go too." Cornelia sighs. "Someone has to watch over the two of you. We have plenty of things to prepare and this little wench is not to be trusted. I know what effect she has on you, especially when she brings out those cursed puppy eyes of hers."

My adorable Dwarf wife blushes even harder while releasing a sweet giggle. Cornelia isn't exactly wrong. Met with the pretty, short, charming bundle of cuteness, you just want to lose yourself in her and go with anything she says. And don't let Sirgia's thin frame deceive you, she is a complete animal in bed. Our brief tussle definitely didn't drain even half of her energy.

Thus, with everyone in agreement, I help both ladies up and we head to the baths. As we walk, I ask Elea to arrange some much-needed cleaning in the main hall. She chuckles at me through the bond and promises to send a few girls to take care of the issue as soon as possible.

I have to admit, her maid subordinates have become pretty much pros at every single thing they do. It wouldn't be surprising if they put me to shame after we actually verified how many things around the mansion I could do when compared to any single random girl working in the non-lewd department. Those wonderful ladies need no man in their lives. Quite the opposite, I definitely need a woman, or women in mine.

We don't waste too much time in the baths. Neither Sirgia nor Cornelia gets any frisky ideas and we chat happily while cleaning each other up. It's become natural to us at this point. As much as there was some initial embarrassment and uneasiness, we all are very comfortable with such activities now. Naturally, we do enjoy the sight and touch, but it's no longer something awkward. The casual intimacy is bliss.

After drying up, Cornelia gives me a hand in dressing our Dwarf friend and excuses herself to get back to work. Naked, of course. Our punishment game is still underway for a short while. And I'll be missing it damn hard. Getting a chance to stare at her perfect ass and curves on every single occasion is just something else.

Perhaps we should host something similar regularly? We would have to come up with things to bet on but I guess it could be doable. Not for an entire week but maybe a day or two. As usual, the loser would have to walk buck-naked around the mansion.

I'm sure plenty of girls would love to bet against me just for the chance to force me into wearing nothing for that duration. That could actually be a fun and nice way to keep everyone's morale up and entertain the kind and hardworking ladies living here. We could throw in some bonus rules too maybe, and make it even more exciting. I gotta discuss it with all my wives. They might have some ideas of their own.

"Where would you like me to escort you, princess?" I ask Sirgia with a gentle smile after picking her up into my arms.

She giggles sweetly and nuzzles her face into me. "To my castle, please, Master."

"I've barely made all of you squeaky clean again and you are already planning on getting yourself all dirty with hard work, are you?" I chuckle at her and start walking to the hidden staircase.

We share a few delicate kisses before I reach her place and set my lovely Dwarf down on the ground. "I think we should bring Meru here. I won't be able to finish the trident I wanted to make for her, but I've been preparing a spare just in case. I would like to check if she is okay with it."

I aggressively ruffle through her hair, evoking some more giggles from the adorable girl.

"You little punk. You've been overworking yourself not on one but two weapons? Seriously, it looks like the only way for me to force a break onto you is to grab you by the waist and dick you down until you can't move anymore."

A deep flush lights up on her tanned skin and Sirgia gives me a shy upwards glance. I chuckle at her and plant a kiss on her forehead.

"Jokes aside, remember to take breaks, please. I love you so much for how hardworking you are, but sometimes I hate you for it too. You deserve to unwind now and then."

She tugs on my wrist and I lean forward enough to let her present my lips with a fluffy kiss.

"I might need Master to enforce some breaks onto me now and then…" she whispers with a tiny smile.

"I'll keep a close eye on you, then." I peck her soft lips back. "But maybe we really should start looking for some help for you. And I mean an actual assistant or something. We talked about visiting your homeland in the past. Perhaps we could finally do so and find you a friend willing to come work under you. What do you think?"

Sirgia's eyes wander over my face as she gives my suggestion a thought. Then, I recall her words regarding our future trip to her birth nation.

"You haven't created anything worthy of showing to your family yet, right?" I ask with genuine curiosity.

"Actually, I might not be that far from finishing it, Master. My abilities and skills are becoming much better thanks to you. I feel like I'm getting a little stronger each time you make love to me. I think that after I reach the next Tier, I will finally be able to complete my project. Though…"

She meets my gaze again and stares deep into my eyes.

"I think I wouldn't mind coming back home with you by my side even now, Master. No matter what anyone says, I know my true home will be next to you. Always. Where I can just be myself without having to worry about the opinions of others."

I graze her soft cheek dearly. "I'm extremely happy to hear that, but the promise I made to you still stands. You are a genius artificer and I'm going to let the entire world know about it. You deserve nothing less."

She shows a brilliant smile and hugs me lovingly from the front. "Thank you, Master. I'm truly the happiest Dwarf in this realm. If I patented some of the pleasure devices you helped me design, I'm sure I would already be very famous back home. I would have never expected how far we would have come when I created the first toy."

"Perhaps, but you are destined for something much greater."

"I don't think I see these things as something lesser anymore, Master. Maybe I'm destined to create amazing sex toys? Ones that no one would ever come up with? I would be the first one to develop such a field, no?"

I chuckle and rub her back. "If that's what you wish for, then I'm not going to stop you. Just remember that I'm always going to support your dreams and passion. I believe in you and always will."

She wraps her short arms even tighter around me and we share a silent moment together. Then, after backing away, we join our lips in one more kiss and turn around while holding hands.

"For now, please bring Meru here, Master. Also, you can borrow her ability to breathe underwater for yourself and one more person, right?" Sirgia glances up at me with her eyes already full of eagerness to work.

"Yes, that's right. One of my skills allows me to get one of your abilities, while the other, the new one, lets me pick a skill between two people, one on each side, copy them, and swap the copies. Unfortunately, I can only pick a pair of people at this very moment," I explain.

She scratches her adorable chin. "Hmmm… Then it's good that I've been working on something for your journey on the side. You can give that ability to either Cornelia or Neira, but the other one will need something else. I'll show you the schematics when you are back too."

"Got it. I have an idea for something useful and simple too. I'll be right back."

Leaving a farewell kiss on my Dwarf lover's cheek, I head out of Sirgia's workshop. I don't even get to step past the door before some lively noise reaches my ears. She wastes literally no time getting to work. This little workaholic. What do I have to go through with her…

It takes me just a moment to locate the fierce sharkgirl in the mansion. As expected, Meru is currently chilling in her room, most likely. I can't be sure what exactly she is doing but I think she's just enjoying a little swim in the tank Sirgia built for her. Soon, she will be able to soak her body in something more proper.

After arriving in front of her door, I knock lightly. A few seconds pass before I hear a muffled splash and Meru's voice.

"Yes?"

"It's me, Alastair. Do you have a moment?" I ask.

"Of course. Please, come in."

I do exactly that and walk into Meru's bedroom, closing the door behind me. Turning around, I find the beautiful Nershark resting her elbows on the edge of the see-through tank. She floats close to it, slowly moving her legs and tail.

It looks like she took my words to heart and stopped covering herself while in the water as her scar-ridden but alluring body is visible to me in all its glory. Her moderate breasts and slim, slightly muscular tummy press into the transparent glass. Truly a magnificent view.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Alastair?" Meru asks in a calm tone.

Showing a gentle smile, I walk up to her custom swimming pool and stop in front of the pretty sharkgirl. Meru watches me curiously as I brush my hand over her chilly cheek and slide it into her hair to run my fingers through it as I start patting her affectionately.

"If you aren't busy, Sirgia wants you to come to see her. She has a weapon for you. But, don't get too excited, it's not yet the magnificent trident she's promised you but a placeholder for now, just in case she won't be done with the actual one in time," I explain.

Regardless of my words, I catch a visible spark in Meru's golden eyes. A barely noticeable smile curls the edges of her mouth just a tiny bit.

"I'll be happy to see it. Words can't describe how grateful I am for the help of your little mate. I watched her work for a moment and she is so much more talented than the people in my reef."

"That she is." I chuckle a little. "Granted, I can't know the people from your village so my opinions are biased."

I catch Meru's gaze linger over my lips for a moment so I stand up on my tiptoes to push myself a bit closer so I can claim her mouth with a gentle peck. She receives it with a quiet sigh so I continue to rain little kisses on those two soft bumps for a few long seconds. Withdrawing myself, I smile at her as she stares me straight in the eyes with somewhat darker cheeks.

"Don't hesitate to act on your wishes and desires whenever you feel like it," I instruct my aquatic mate.

She gives me a faint nod after a while and joins our lips together on her own this time. I let Meru nibble on my mouth and chase after my tongue. As usual, I'm extremely impressed by the level of control she has over her incredibly sharp-looking teeth. No matter how much she uses them on me, she leaves no cuts or stings on my sensitive flesh.

Drawing her face back soon, she gives me one more nod and pushes herself off the edge of the tank with her strong legs. Making a quick lap around the decently sizable swimming pool, she gains quite the speed and launches herself out of it, splashing some water onto me in the process. Thankfully, I don't have any clothes on myself so all that liquid just drips down my skin.

She lands next to me and shakes some droplets off. I watch her walk to the nearby wardrobe and follow after the charming sharkgirl. We both pick up a towel each after she opens it and I give her a hand in drying up so that she doesn't leave a trail through the entire mansion. Afterwards, I also assist Meru in slipping into her panties and bra and we head out to join my lovely Dwarf.

We stumble onto a few women on our path to the underground and exchange simple greetings. Without any delays, we reach our destination. The characteristic clang of metal fills the air so Sirgia must be working on something quite big in our absence.

I lead my Nershark companion inside and we find the petite girl hunched over one of the anvils, hammering what looks like a small spike, perhaps part of Meru's final trident. She notices us quite fast, most likely expecting us, and lays her tools aside, quickly trotting down the stepladder she has been standing on.

"Welcome back, Master, Meru. Give me a second and I'll bring it out."

Without even giving us a chance to respond, she rushes into one of the nearby chambers like the wind. We wait patiently in the main section of the workshop and soon hear the adorable patter of Sirgia's feet on the ground. She trots into the room while holding a simple trident to her chest, much bigger than she is. Almost tripping over the long pole a few times, she reaches our position and holds it up horizontally.

"I know it's nothing much, but I hope it will help you fight off the evil creatures that hurt your friends, Meru," she says quietly.

Meru's eyes roam over the trident alongside mine. As Sirgia said, it's truly not much in terms of design, but I can easily tell that it's sharper and more durable than any other weapons of this category. It has a long spike in the middle and two, shorter ones curling to the sides. Though, the tips of the side spikes aren't pointing straight up but bend slightly outwards. This might be quite useful for swinging the trident around, not just stabbing.

Our shark friend hesitantly extends her hand and Sirgia raises the trident even higher to urge her to pick it up. Meru finally takes a hold of her new weapon and examines it up close, running her fingers all over the long shaft and the three spikes at the top.

"It's a fine trident. Much more durable than my old one. I like the bent spikes on the sides. I can already imagine a few ways of utilising them in battle. It's a good weapon. Thank you."

"I'm glad, then." Sirgia shows a sweet smile. "But, that's not all."

I chuckle lightly. Because, of course. She wouldn't be herself if she didn't put some extras into even the reserve weapon.

"What did you do to it?" I raise my brow at the crafty Dwarf.

"If you hold it here, you should feel a little indent that fits your finger. Try to press it and pull it down and—"

"Oh."

Meru lets out a quiet gasp and I jump a little as something clicks and there suddenly are four side spikes around the main one instead of two, forming a square.

"These won't be too useful for when you need to swing the trident around but should come in handy whenever you need something or someone pinned down," Sirgia explains. "With all four spikes unfolded, the general weight distribution and aerodynamics of the entire weapon are much better so it can be thrown much further with much more accuracy before its path gets too unpredictable."

"Amazing," Meru whispers in wonder.

"You can fold it back by pressing the same plate and pushing it up instead of down," my amazing artificer adds.

With another click, the weapon is back to normal. Meru switches the modes a few times and we watch how the two additional spikes come out of their hiding inside the initial two side spears. It's quite curious and mesmerising.

"That's not all." Sirgia places her hand on the shaft and brings the weapon down to her level. "Try to push the plate to the left this time."

Meru nods and follows her instructions once more. The weapon releases a quieter clang of metal and we spot a tiny, rectangular hole at the conjunction of the shaft and the actual trident part. A thin rope unfurls out of it, reaching the bottom end of the weapon.

"You can wrap this cord around your forearm before throwing the trident, or just grab it right after, and it should be long enough to let you retrieve it with ease. When you push the plate to the right, the rope starts retracting with enough force to pull a person or two. Of course, you can just pull on it manually too," Sirgia continues her presentation of the trident's functions.

"That could be helpful out of a fight too," I comment, giving my cute workaholic some well-deserved pats.

"It's truly incredible," Meru whispers to herself in awe. "My old weapon was just that, a weapon. This is something more. Thank you so much, Sirgia. I really appreciate this amazing gift."

Some more rosiness tints the petite girl's cheeks as she giggles quietly. "This is nothing, really. Even the enchantments are very basic. It can't compare to the trident I'm preparing for you but it has to do until I'm fully finished. I just wanted you to have a decent weapon for your expedition with Master so that you can fight alongside him more confidently."

The Nershark beauty sets the butt of the trident on the ground and steps forward to hug her gently. Sirgia doesn't run away and accepts the warm, or rather slightly chilly embrace.

"I can't imagine anything better. I really can't wait to see the real one, then," Meru says. "Thank you again. I promise to protect Alastair with my life. This trident will make it a lot easier."

"Don't even think about throwing yourself into mortal danger for me." I squint at her over Sirgia's shoulders.

The adorable Dwarf lady giggles in her arms. "You would definitely risk your life for her, though, Master."

"Zip it." I squint at my short lover and smile. "We'll watch each other's backs. Don't forget that our goal is to save your home. It's going to be a bit pointless without you around."

"There will be Cornelia, Neira, Safi, and Emi with you too. Everything will be alright. They are all strong," Sirgia adds.

Meru takes her arms away and finally ends the appreciative hug. She then glances my way and I step closer to pull her into me for a brief kiss.

"Alright. Don't forget to practice a bit with your new weapon to get used to how it handles. Though, I'm not sure you are going to be able to do a lot of that considering that your tank has limited space and we'll be fighting fully underwater," I say after we part. "So, what was the other thing you wanted to show me, Sirgia?"

"Follow me, Master."

We walk after our artificer and end up in front of one of the workbenches by the wall. I bring Sirgia's stepladder for her and she smiles at me adorably while setting it where she wants it to be. We then watch as she flips through what looks like a sketchbook with plenty of schematics and brings out a small metal box from the drawer.

"I was trying to make this." She points at one of the pictures.

"Ah. An air filter mounted to a half-mask." I nod my head in understanding. "From when we talked about the gas leaks in dwarven mines and how people from my world deal with them."

"Yes. Instead of it filtering dangerous gases, though, I figured that this could work with proper enchantments and elemental stones. One could generate breathable air whenever a person inhales, and the other could push it out as they exhale. I'm currently in the process of assembling the prototype and will test it out soon. I might need to work on the design a bit too, making it a bit less clunky."

"Yeah, I can see that. You are basically trying to create those mouthpieces that can sometimes be shown in movies where the technology is quite advanced and there's no need for a bottle with air." I rub my chin. "I'm nowhere as talented as Shino or Neira but give me a second and I'll draw something better for you than a gas mask."

Sirgia offers me a clean sheet of paper and a bunch of pencils. Then, the two girls observe me intently as I do my best to sketch the thing I mentioned. Besides the horizontal, cylindrical part that most of them usually have, I draw an extension which covers not just the mouth but also the nose, like those oxygen dispensers often used by paramedics are equipped with. I somehow manage to make it sleek and decently simple.

"I see." Sirgia leans in to examine my sketches from up close. "I could comfortably fit a gem on each side of this tube without a problem. This part is definitely much smaller and less clunky than that big container in the thing you called the gas mask, Master. Increasing the coverage of the mouthpiece to reach the nose too is a good idea. It will make it easier to speak, even though you should all be able to communicate mentally."

I ruffle through her hair. "I'm sure you can improve it even more. Try to prepare one before we have to depart if you are able to but don't push yourself too far. There's also this that I want you to get done, perhaps with Mari's and Nyfile's help."

Finding another piece of paper, I sketch some simple fins scuba divers use on their feet. I'm still not completely sure how our manoeuvrability will look but these might prove to be a lifesaver. Nothing stops us from bringing them with us even if we end up not using them in the end. Space is not an issue with my rings and the collars or necklaces the girls wear.

Sirgia confirms that preparing the fins shouldn't be hard and promises to have them ready very soon, maybe even with a few additional utilities. I ask her not to go overboard for something like this and we move on, discussing the two gadgets and their creation for a bit longer.

"Great. Since you two look like you still have some fun ideas to exchange, I'll leave you to it and take care of other things in the meanwhile." I clap my hands to bring everyone out of the world of artificer dreams. "Maybe I'll go and ask Ross about the shore or get access to some decent area of it. Will you be able to find your way home from anywhere or should we start from the area where you and the Nereids ran into the sewer grating?"

"I should be." The sharkgirl nods softly. "I'm pretty sure that my nose will be able to pick up the scent of Sahuagins anyway. I can use it to lead us where they are, which shouldn't be that far from my reef. Unless their warriors advanced much farther already, taking over many more reefs. Perhaps we could help them on our way."

"Got it. We definitely can kill all of them while heading to our destination. It would be kind of pointless to just ignore them and swim straight there as they would most likely have us surrounded that way. Have fun here and I'll see what the King has to say about this."

They bid me farewell and I move out of the underground area. Before departing, I ask Cornelia if she would like to accompany me and she asks me to wait a moment for her so I do that. She shows up fifteen minutes later, dressed in the robes she often wears at the castle, so I jump into my suit too.

There's a single carriage parked in front of the mansion, which we decided to keep nearby at all times in case we would need to get somewhere in style, like this occasion. Getting into the comfy cart, we enjoy the pleasant ride while chatting together and reminiscing about our little fun here in the past.

After reaching the castle, we follow a knight who guides us to the meeting chamber and leaves to inform the King about our visit. Shortly after his departure, though, the doors fling open and a certain dainty woman walks inside like she owns the place.

"Al! Cornelia! Good to see you again!" Lianne chuckles and runs to us, throwing herself at me.

"Same here." I laugh, spinning us for a brief moment. "You really have eyes and ears literally everywhere to get informed about our arrival this fast."

"A queen has to have her own ways." She winks at me. "What brings you here, then? Did you perhaps sense how much I want you?"

"I don't think there's a moment you don't want me." I raise a brow at her and Lianne blushes a bit more.

"It's not my fault that you are so handsome, and nice, and have a big, juicy cock that keeps appearing in all my dreams," she admits.

Cornelia snorts. "Why I'm not surprised to hear that you dream about cocks?"

"Contrary to you, my dear Cornelia, I don't get to feast my eyes on Al's treasure twenty-four-on-seven." Lianne playfully squints her eyes at my magician wife. "Enough fun for now. Do you guys need help with something?"

"Al is going to liberate our waters and their inhabitants from vicious Sahuagins. We wanted to ask for permission to scout the shore to pick a good spot for us to descend into the sea," Cornelia lays down our plan.

"Hmmmm…" The petite queen rubs her chin while pondering over her friend's words. "You can go wherever you please, of course, but do you really have to start from the shore if your destination is far away from it?"

"Do you have something in mind?" I ask.

"What about using a ship?" Lianne suggests. "We could lend you a vessel to take you as close to your target as possible. It could serve as your mobile base of operations, something you couldn't really have if you just walked into the water. The captain and their crew could wait for us to give you a hand in whatever you might need. What do you think?"

"That's actually a very good idea," Cornelia praises her. "In case of emergency, we could return to the surface and jump onto the deck."

"I agree. We might have to make a few stops on our way to Meru's village but having a ship with us would be only helpful. I can think of so many ways to utilise it both for our convenience and possible advantage over the invaders. The ship would need to have someone to defend it though. My group won't be leaving anyone behind."

"That's not a problem." The Queen waves her hand dismissively. "I'll see to it myself and bring you the best crew and the best adventurers or knights to watch over the ship and you at the same time."

"Let's do that, then. We will really appreciate the assistance, Lianne."

"Oh, stop it! It's only natural that I give my best for my husband, isn't it?" She bats her pretty eyelashes at me. "How else will I entice him to reward me by wrecking my pussy with his manly cock?"

She gives me a sly gaze and I chuckle a little. "Right now? Ross could come at any moment."

"So can you."

Cornelia rolls her eyes at the Queen's remark. "You really think with your cunt."

Lianne shows Cornelia her tongue and brings us to a coffee table. After setting some fragrant tea in front of both of us, she walks to the chair I'm sitting on and turns around. I observe in confusion as she raises her skirt from the back, exposing her petite butt to me. Naturally, the more attention-craving aspect is the drenched fabric of her cute, white panties, drowning in her need.

Giving me a mischievous smile over her shoulder, she reaches for my belt, unbuckles it, brings my hard member into the air, and then lowers herself onto my lap, assuming a casual pose as if she is just sitting there. With one small, crucial detail. There's a stiff pole deep in her royal pussy.

Cornelia watches everything unfold, of course, and can only shake her head at the Queen's antics. Before Lianne can get to it properly, the doors to the chamber open and her son walks inside. He greets Cornelia and then me, who for some reason can't stand up. She's truly a magnet for disasters.

We continue to discuss with him the same thing we talked about with his mother, who is happily impaled on my dick during the entire conversation. At this point, I still have no idea if Ross is truly as blind as we take him for or if he just chooses to keep acting as if he knows nothing.

In any way, he agrees to the plan with the ship and heads out to take care of the preparations. He chooses a good time to leave as Lianne enters a screaming and squirting orgasm soon after, barely holding it back long enough. We've been this close since the disaster, and somehow, I can tell that both women are even hornier and more thrilled because of that. These damned sluts.

After giving the Queen a hand in cleaning her petite pussy up, we chat for a bit longer and decide to return home. Our upcoming journey is slowly nearing the date of departure.