166 Sons and Daughter

Styx wasn't sure when or how it started, but a negative public opinion of him began to spread.

Despite the promises by himself and his representatives, the common citizens spread tales of how most of the women used to breed monsters became broken wrecks and were buried deep within the dungeon.

There were others that he kept the Monster Lords on his side by feeding people to them, especially those who were against him.

It didn't take Styx long to locate the source of these rumors, the merchants coming in from outside the cities.

"It is a petty attempt to buy time," Styx stated with disinterest whilst rolling his eyes.

Styx had seen far more insidious and cruel tactics in his previous world. It was because of this that he paid close attention to the goods being brought inside the cities to ensure no sabotage could take place. A virus for instance, no matter how quickly he could cull it, would cause a great deal of damage and make the lives of his now citizens suffer from the aftereffects.

The noble attendants of this meeting nodded their head in agreement. It was a low level tactic whilst there were much more malicious option available.

For the intended purpose though, it was very effective.

"Lord Styx, with the public sentiment falling, the amount of monsters being bred has fallen almost 30 percent below the predicted figure. Whilst extending the patrols to villages to appease the public opinion, as well as maintaining public order and defense against the demon attacks, our forces are spread too thin."

Styx sat sideways across his chair lackadaisically but his gaze was both cold and unforgiving. Behind him stood Aura, who had only recently fully recovered from her wounds by the super futuristic giant robot and other Fifth Step existences in the fallen city.

"Indeed, it is a domino effect. Tell me, do you understand the effects of how food supply and demand play into how much population you can support?"

"I… Forgive me, Lord Styx, I don't follow."

"Allow me to provide an example. Say there is enough food production in the yearly turnover to provide food for 100 people. In the first year, they survive, quite hungry by the next harvest, but they still survive. In that year, 10 people migrated. This year, there isn't enough food for everybody. How many do you think will die of starvation?"

This was a problem the nobles had never had to deal with as there was always an adequate food supply. The earth in this infinite world was infinitely fertile due to the mana flowing through it, so food production was never a pressing concern to them.

"L-lord, it would be the ten new people, wouldn't it?"

"Incorrect. Because there are now ten percent more people, the food will be used ten percent faster. Rather than those ten people starving, all 110 people have now run out of food a month before the next harvest."

"What!?"

"It's not like they will all starve though, there will undoubtedly be infighting for the last morsels of food, and a small group of five to ten people may survive, especially if they turn to cannibalism. What is most important here is to me is not the starvation though, but that people will do anything for food when faced with starvation, even betray their best friends."

"Lord Styx, are you saying we should let the people starve?"

"Whilst there will likely be some blood spilled, I don't wish for it to go too far. I wish for these people to experience starvation, not starve to death. When they desire food, their loyalty will immediately go towards those who hold the key to their survival."

"What if… people choose to starve rather than betray their beliefs? Especially if rumors spread that you cut off their food…"

Styx laughed jovially and waved his hand through the air. Aura for some reason moved her eyes to track that hand, as if waiting to catch it.

"I would never do such a thing to my people. I will constantly provide food, but my food output cannot sustain everybody."

"Yes, thankfully most of our food comes from farms in rural areas outside the cities."

"Thankfully?" Styx began whilst chuckling, "Those farms are currently under threat of random demon attacks. You said it yourself, that our forces are spread too thin due to outside influence on our people's thoughts."

"L-lord, are you asking us to…?"

"All I am asking you to do is focus on defending the cities. I will protect some villages as I can, but those rural farms are going to suffer some devastation. When people are hungry and starving, they will forget all previous grievances and wholeheartedly join my side. The Maple Dragon Kingdom thought this would buy them time? At best, it has bought them 6 months, hardly enough to change anything."

It was obvious that not only was Styx going to not defend the rural farms, he was even going to ensure they got targeted so the people in the cities would begin starving, especially the poorer families and weak individual, who were the main proliferators of the anti-Styx sentiments.

Such a move reinforced all the nobles understanding of how cold Styx could be towards those who worked against him. As nobility was a title earned more often than passed down to progeny, they were all people of outstanding character and found it difficult to abide by Styx's command.

Not only were they to not provide relief for people, at least, not enough to count, they had to deliberately make their people suffer.

~~~~~

⠀

Styx was in a large room deep inside the dungeon, expensive and extravagant tapestries adorned the walls whilst artistic murals depicting his previous life and this in an abstract way were carved out of various stone types on the walls.

Beatrice, one of his wives whose feelings for him were second to none, lay atop a hospital bed rhythmically taking deep breaths. She wore nothing but a shirt with her legs spread apart.

"This isn't any different than the other times," Therina looked at her sister wife with affectionately.

Most of the dungeon wives were present at this time, including the other two with large swelling stomachs; Irie and the Fourth Step succubus, Ithrea.

Beatrice looked back at the others and a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips, breaking her usual stoic expression.

"No, it isn't like the others. You will understand it when it is your turn but, the connection I have with my baby is much deeper."

She then called Aura to come closer with her finger before pulling the Monster Lord into her embrace and whispering in her ears, "Having a child of your own fills the void inside of you. You should try it too."

Aura, whose affection and trust towards Styx had transcended common bounds, had developed a close bond with Beatrice, who concealed similar levels of devotion towards her chosen husband.

The thought of her own cubs caused the wolf girls tail to stand up as her heart beat increased. Secretly, she vowed to successfully fall pregnant with Styx and try having cubs of her own.

Beatrice then went into labor, and less than an hour later, was holding a healthy young baby boy in her arms. What was interesting was that because Beatrice had evolved into a dark phenelf, rather than her former stone elf race, her child was born as a dark phenelf as well.

This trend continued as Irie had evolved into a Magus from a human. Both her and Beatrice had been at <Lv. 39> for quite some time as neither of them would be able to evolve without Styx planting a monster in their womb as the template for the evolution. In the bizarre case they did evolve again, it would only put a dire risk to their unborn children.

Irie gave birth to a second son for Styx, and was widely welcomed into their large family.

Beatrice's son was named Balor, whilst Irie's son was called Ottar after her grandfather.

There was a third birth and by far the most impactful.

Succubi usually had short pregnancy periods, but Ithrea's pregnancy took almost twice as long as a usual succubus pregnancy, reaching almost 6 months long.

"Sweatheart, I'm not going to make it~~"

"Why the hell are you saying that with a smile on your face?" Styx asked in an extremely dark mood.

He also knew the succubus wasn't going to make it. The baby in her womb was too demanding. At first, she sustained herself on Styx's constant mana injections and consuming large amounts of mana rich food.

As the fetus grew larger though, so did its appetite. Ithrea was forced to use her life force to sustain the baby and even ignored Styx's order to abort it and try again.

Even though the succubus commander had been an enemy, Styx already viewed her as his and refused to lose anything of his.

"Our daughter will be the most powerful succubus to ever walk these lands. You have no idea how important this is to me, so don't take this away from me, please~"

Ithrea grabbed Styx and forcefully kissed him, pushing her tongue into his mouth and mixing their saliva together.

Going into labor, a healthy girl who wailed whenever she was outside of Styx's arm came into this world. Her ears were pointed like that of her mother, but the power that was in her body was completely otherworldly.

Even as a newborn infant, she emitted a pressure that spread to every corner of the dungeon and demanded submission. The standard residents were unaffected, but all the succubi under Styx's rule simultaneously prostrated on the ground and called out, "Queen!"