I wasn't expecting that.

In my experience from my previous life, similar meetings always ended in some drama, large or small, but drama nonetheless. The diplomats and leaders I had the displeasure of working with were always self-serving pricks who, under the guise of serving their nations, worked to gain the most without giving anything in return. Very few of them understood the reality of war or what it truly meant to make sacrifices. For them, sacrifice was an ear-catching word that fit nicely in their speeches while the underfunded and ill-equipped soldiers died on battlefields across the world. Those bastards were more concerned with fiscal statistics and their re-election chances than the lives of soldiers. However, my current allies really meant what they said.

"Additional materials will certainly change things," I said after a moment of consideration. "Are you sure about your offer?"

"Indeed." Guad shrugged and the others simply nodded. "We aren't stupid, Theon. Whoever wins this war will be stronger than ever before. Even if all the countries of Aderon combined their armies, we don't stand a chance against Vestargo. When our soldiers die, they can't be easily replaced but you probably understand that better than we do. That's why you keep your Guardsmen Corp as a last line of defence. That's why every single loss of your warships is a tragedy. But despite that, only Arcadia can wage this brutal war. Only your Legions can carve their way forward. That's why I know that whoever wins this war will be stronger than ever before. However, between you and Vestargo, we will take our chances with you. Thank you very much."

He waved his hand in annoyance, but his smile was friendly and honest.

"Besides it's logical; even if your Navy grows so much that a single fleet could conquer a country, that will only work in our favour." Sawal chuckled.

"Well, his single fleet is already enough to conquer a country." Theresa corrected the oldest of the gathered monarchs with a cheerful giggle.

"And how many fleets do you have now?" Sawal tilted his head to the side thoughtfully.

"Three," I said with a small smile.

"I would feel better if you had at least three more." Sawal closed his eyes, opened his arms, and shook his head with a sigh.

"Likewise..." I chuckled.

"The stronger Arcadia becomes, the less likely it is that dark times of occupation will happen ever again. Once the Dark Empire spread its influence over Aderon. If they ever return, we will meet them on the battlefield, but without Arcadia, we will lose that battle. The ship that destroyed a Balantican battlegroup would crush our forces like they weren't even there." King Sawal Talos Ebrus gave everyone a serious look. "Maybe in a few hundred years we will be able to defend ourselves. But even then, what about the Enemies?!"

"Indeed. Sawal is right." Varis Aclium nodded. "You are the last known Hero, Theon Avalon. You have carved your path and proved your claims on countless battlefields. We are not delusional like the Elves of Ibrevell, who believe they can rule supreme over the world; I don't believe they would last a single battle against Vestargo. That's why we truly mean it. Because one day, we will only have you to protect us from the horrors of Void and Chaos."

"In that case, I won't object to your help," I said with a smile.

•••

We stayed in the Sleeping Dungeon that night. There were enough things we needed to fully get into the minutia about and there wasn't enough time to wrap up everything in a single session. My wives and I considered returning to Avalon but the State dinner dragged a little bit longer than we hoped. That was why I was watching a depressing sight outside the window while they slept. The wasteland called the Metakan highlands spread towards the horizon and the absolute lack of snow added to the pitifulness of the picture. It was cold, as it should be in March, but there wasn't even a single patch of snow outside the Dungeon. I would like to find the leyline node in Metaka but there weren't really any ways to easily search for it. Stumbling upon them by sheer accident was the only way of finding them in their sealed state. It was nearly impossible to navigate the Shadow Realm which lacked any landmarks or even a variety of terrain. The eternal dusk over a vast rocky plain was the universal sight wherever you went to that place. The Demon Lord... Hmmm, what was that guy called? I'm sure he introduced himself... Anyway, that guy did an extremely good job of hiding the nodes.

The next day turned out much better than I anticipated and I was in a great mood. The promise of very substantial help in the form of resources my war industry always needed. With them...

"I want a main battle tank prototype ready for Spring, Tia."

"Yes! Finally!" The Nekomi fired up. "What about transport vehicles?"

"Green light. I want to fully modernise the Guardsmen Corps. They have artillery and now it's time for tanks, IFVs, and weapons. I need them to be prepared to hold Vestargo if our battle lines collapse again." I looked over my shoulder at happy Tia whose tail was coiling on the pillow. Then I sighed. "Unfortunately, the Navy has top priority so, until we get at least two more fleets, the Armoured Corps has the lower priority."

"But, as you said, we can start building prototypes, right?" Tia asked, unfazed.

"Yes." I briefly smiled. "At least for the tanks and the infantry fighting vehicles. I will take care of their weapons personally."

"Oh? You have something in mind? I had thought about equipping them with glaives with Arcane Bullet runes." Tia asked, making me chuckle.

"Of course... In my past life, we weren't using swords and bows in warfare for two or even three hundred years by the time I died. Possibly four since I'm starting to doubt how long I lived then..." I started mumbling, rolling off incoherently by the end due to my own uncertainty. I cleared my throat while covering my mouth with a closed fist, and smiled. "Anyway! I have already prepared some prototypes of new weapons so don't worry. By the time you are ready with tank prototypes, the Moonshadow Company will have already tested new weapons."

"Excellent!" Tia waved with the brush she was using to help Amber comb her magnificent, long hair.

While Slime Maids usually did that, my wives liked to take turns combing each others' hair. I looked at the horizon with a slight concern. Maybe my thinking was wrong and I simply couldn't accept a gesture of goodwill. However, I still couldn't shake my thoughts that the most expensive gifts are free favours. Maybe because of that thinking, I was perceived to be a cynical man in my previous life, but that was a sad lesson I learned through blood and tears. However, there was something I could trade them in exchange for the materials they were offering. Something they desired and wouldn't scoff at. Something I had and would cost me nothing to give.

Knowledge.

"Do you think that we should open more studies for the students from allied nations?" I asked my wives quietly as I stirred the drink in my glass with a circular movement of my hand as I turned towards them. Of course, not all knowledge was for sharing...

I was standing in my bathrobe while my wives were lying or sitting on the large bed, barely clothed themselves. Tia continued to comb Amber's long, fire-red hair while Luna, Mia, and Freya were playing cards. Like poker... Or to be more precise, strip poker... Well, I didn't mind at all, my Cuties.

"I think there are a few things we could teach them," Luna answered with a thoughtful hum. "Medical studies would certainly be appreciated and help them significantly. I don't believe that it would harm us in the long run even if some secrets of healing were to reach our enemies."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Luna is right," Amber agreed with a neutral tone. "It would help in the future if they could spare us medical teams sometimes... Even if all they could do is patch our soldiers and keep them alive until our Healers arrive. That could help plenty. Because, let's be realistic, it's just a matter of time until something unexpected happens."

"I haven't thought about that, my Dear." I smiled and took a sip. The alcohol pleasantly warmed me. "But you are absolutely right. It doesn't even have to be war-related. A natural disaster like an earthquake or a hurricane, where we would have to call for help because we have no forces to spare. What about mining techniques?"

"Why not?" Mia revealed her cards with a smug expression which earned her defeated groans from Luna and Freya. "But, maybe, I would add some additional lectures about the mining equipment and perhaps how to build and maintain it."

Luna took off her bra and dropped it aside.

"Maybe instead, we should broaden the mechanical engineering classes? We could reveal some non-threatening machines to them." Freya took off her shirt, looked at me with a mischievous smile, and innocently waved her braid. "At this rate, Mia will strip me in front of you, Theon."

"Hmmm... I don't think so. If my eyes don't awfully deceive me, both Mia and Luna were only left with their panties while you are still decently clothed." I grinned at her and winked. "So what else could we offer them?"

"I think it's enough." Tia sighed and put away the comb. "The allied monarchs were right when they said their survival purely depends on whether Arcadia defeats Vestargo. It's in their best interest to support us even if they lose income or resources. They are also correct when they said that Vestargo is only the beginning. He is a serious obstacle, but compared to the truly unpredictable forces of the Enemies, he is... Just there. The space he occupies is finite and we have him more or less contained. We can't forget about the enemies we know nothing about..."

"I agree with Tia." Amber nodded. "We can gain their gratitude but, in the end, it is our mission to protect this world, my Dear husband. Well, yours, but we will always be by your side."

"I'm glad to hear that..." I finished my drink and moved to go to bed. As I sat on the edge, almost immediately, I was enveloped by Amber's arms, who pulled me down, and she gracefully moved to lie by my side. "In that case, we will tell them about new lectures at the University tomorrow. But today..."

I grabbed Amber and pulled her closer to me. I kissed her greedily and she kissed me back.

"The night is still young..."

•••

Ian yawned from over the console. The teleportation relay was far more complicated than he anticipated. However, the experiments he had conducted so far were promising. He managed to send some sealed spatial supply crates with built-in self-destruct mechanisms. They were supposed to go off in case someone tried to break them forcefully or if they were unopened after a whole month. The self-destruction spells weren't particularly spectacular, just enough to ensure that the contents wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. He also made sure to include a beacon so Arthur would be informed of the crates' arrival if he was still within a thousand kilometres away of the targeted destination. While Ian was sure that this should be enough for their lost Inquisitor to find the crates, there was always a possibility they would simply miss. There was too much at stake to mess up and one mistake could mean that Arthur Ives would be left stranded forever. Until he figured out how the relay worked, only four more people were registered as users.

"Ummm..." The voice of Alicia, his third wife, a beautiful High Elf, sounded a little more smug than usual as she entered the control room. "I was right, my Dear! I asked Myrna and Daphne to look through the data I collected and they agreed with my hypothesis that this facility's mana reactors are at least five times more efficient than ours. Daphne is frustrated because she can't force the facility to give her access to the reactor's schematics."

Ian chuckled. As he expected from his fourth wife, a young and impulsive Squirrelkin, she immediately tried to research one of the most important aspects of the facility. While Sally and Myrna had Scholar subclasses and were very interested in physics, mathematics, and magitech engineering, Alicia and Daphne were first and foremost Arcane Engineers. The girls had been saved from Vestargo's slavery and it was a mystery to Ian how such incredibly beautiful girls hadn't been courted by the Guardsmen who saved them. However, he could only be happy about his gain. It must have been Eriar's mysterious work.

The two met Ian during a few lectures he gave at the University and they impressed him enough that he invited them to join his team researching Vanushka. One thing led to another and now both Alicia and Daphne were his wives and irreplaceable assistants. Some people grumbled that it showed favoritism and he shouldn't have done that, but everyone he cared about was happy. Sally and Myrna accepted Alicia and Daphne almost immediately. Even Fiona liked them, so as far as Ian was concerned, everyone else could go fuck themselves. Especially when the Emperor and Empresses, whose opinion was probably the most sacred for Ian, congratulated them.

Now, the five of them were inseparable. Sally, his first wife whom he met in Avalon. Myrna, his childhood love, whom he thought he had lost forever, but found again by pure luck he didn't deserve. And now, Alicia and Daphne... He was a happy and blessed man. All thanks to his Lord and truest friend - Theon Avalon. Thanks to him, Ian was living a fairy tale. He was one of the most important people of Arcadia. But more importantly he was a happy husband of four incredible women and a father. Maybe he wasn't the biological father of Fiona, but woe to anyone who wanted to hurt his daughter. And Fiona, now, had a little brother. Sally had helped Myrna when she recently gave birth to his son, Ian Junior. At first, Sally was slightly disappointed since she wasn't the first to have Ian's child, but it turned out that she wasn't as healthy as they had thought. Sally's condition had prohibited her from getting pregnant. However, once she was diagnosed, the Arcadian healers quickly dealt with all issues. Now, Sally was in her second month and was incredibly happy while Alicia and Daphne, themselves, were slightly jealous... But in a very positive way.

"You won." He chuckled and kissed the High Elf as he pulled her closer to himself. "Here is your reward."

"Na-ah. I won't let you slide so easily now. You owe us a fancy dinner." She giggled and fixed her lab coat.

"Once we return to Avalon, I'll treat you at Warren's Restaurant." He laughed.

"It's a promise then." She straightened with a happy smile. Then, she looked at the screen in front of Ian. "What are you doing?"

"I've gotten access to the console training data." He rubbed the back of his neck with a tired expression. "My suspicions were right and each console is equipped with a training and simulation mode to help train the operators. Unfortunately, they rely on external knowledge that was drilled into the ancient technicians who worked here."

"Hmmm..." Alicia sat on his lap and stared at the screen for a little while.

He was tempted to hug her but quickly realized that she must have noticed something he missed. The Elf stood up with an excited ahhh and dashed towards another console and switched it on.

"Look!" She shouted.

He approached her and gave the console a passing glance. He would rather go to rest for today and maybe they could have some more time for each other... Suddenly, his mind pieced together what she was showing him and he gasped in shock. He dashed to another console, then another, and another.

"I... I have no words, Alicia! You are a genius!" He lifted his wife into the air and after spinning her in celebration, he called Sally, Myrna, and Daphne to join them.

The three women arrived a few moments later with worried looks from all the commotion only to witness Ian and Alicia shouting to each other in excitement as they moved from console to console. He spotted them and quickly ran towards them.

"Girls! Alicia discovered that each console's training program was drastically different. I want to confirm it as soon as possible and, if it is possible, piece together a coherent instruction of the entire Relay. I will need your help!"

"I will wake up the Scribes and Scholars." Sally shook her head with a yawn. "Do you know what time it is?"

"No clue." Ian shrugged with a grin. "We have enough coffee and energy drinks to last for weeks. It's finally time to use it."

"All right, all right..." Myrna sighed. "Daphne, you help Sally with waking up everyone. I will check Ian Jr. If he is still sleeping, instruct the Maid to tell me when he wakes up. Ian, Alicia, eat something before the madness starts."

"Sure, sure..."

•••

When we returned to Avalon, Ian's report surprised me. They were close to figuring out how to operate the relay but he advised caution. Him advising caution... It was more than just concerning. It was straight up alarming when it came up from a man like Ian. Nonetheless, once again, he proved to be a genius with a talent for surrounding himself with other geniuses. All his wives were incredibly talented and supported him with any work I threw at them. To think that Sally could easily understand the advanced physics of my old world was astonishing. A timid girl, who came to Avalon via horrible experiences with slavers was now one of the most accomplished Scholars of Arcadia...

If we all could just live in peace, without a constant war and the shadow of Enemies looming over Nilmerthis...

That would be something, right?

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