"… So, you heard after all, but just chose not to co out?" I folded my arms, shooting her a deadpan look. 'How cruel."
"What's cruel, is how you suddenly broke our contract and forcefully abandoned to the Summoning Realm without any notice, you good-for-nothing sorry excuse of a master!" Flaria yelled, descending from above and landing on the ground in her human form. It would seem she has gained more control over her transformations since the last ti I saw her.
"Geez… your tongue has grown even sharper too, eh?" I chuckled. "Well, not that I mind. But uh… about how I abandoned you… look, I didn't an for that to happen."
"Uh-huh," Flaria narrowed her eyes in suspicion, folding her arms as if mocking my own pose. She didn't say anything more, but her expression was one that read 'tell more'.
And so I did.
Every last detail, from how I entered the Death Realm, and got caught up in all sorts of side adventures, added three more girls to my harem, and now finally returned to the Living Realm once more.
Once I was done, a good fifteen minutes had passed. This was the second ti I was retelling this story, the first being with the other girls, so I was quite tired of it by now, but Flaria seed to be even more tired.
"W-Wait, let get this straight. So you sohow didn't die after falling off a cliff, but really, you did, because you technically went to the Death Realm… and then ca back like nothing happened, with three more beauties in your arms?"
"Uh… sounds about right."
"… Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?"
"I do."
"… And you expect to believe it?"
"Well, yes."
Flaria sighed, then looked away and set her hands on her hips. "In all honesty… I can't say I'm surprised. Knowing you, anything is possible. Especially the beauties part."
I smirked. "Jealous?"
"H-Huh?" Flaria suddenly blushed and glared at . "Why would I be jealous of that?! You value yourself too highly!"
"The correct term is actually self-esteem, but I will take it."
"Grr…"
"Relax, relax. I'm just kidding. You're more of a brat than anything, and I certainly don't see you as wife material," I said with a wink. "However, there is soone else who might…"
"What…? I have no intentions of getting married. Phoenixes don't need to mate to reproduce, you know that, right?"
"Ah, but does it hurt for them to fall in love?" I taunted, a wry grin creeping up my face. "C'mon. I have a feeling you two will get along well."
I turned around and began walking away, thinking she would follow, but…
"… I can't."
"Huh…?" I turned around, confused, only to see a dejected-looking Flaria, staring down at the ground. "Hey now… what's wrong?"
"I… I'm not strong enough."
I narrowed my eyes. "What…?"
She took a deep breath, then shyly looked away, refusing to et my gaze.
"After being separated from you for the past few days, I've been thinking. Ever since we ford our contract… how many tis have you actually called upon , and how many tis have I actually been of use to you? I feel very… aningless."
Hearing this, I couldn't help but sigh.
"Look… you think I didn't call upon you because you were too weak?" I laughed. "No. Far from that. You're a goddamn Golden Phoenix, Flaria. Saying you're weak is like calling Mount Everest a small hill. If anything, the reason I haven't called upon you is because you are too strong."
"Huh…?" This ti, it was her turn to be confused, and looked up at in surprise.
"Use your head, Flaria," I said, shaking mine and facepalming in response. "You may be… what, 2000 years old? But you're still but a child in terms of phoenix years. One is equivalent to… how many again? 200 human years? That makes you 10. You are far from being able to control your power effectively, and thus I'm hesitant to use your power."
"B-But… when will you finally use …?"
"Relax, my sweet daughter," I said, stepping forward and patting her on the head, surprising her even further. "There is a certain place I am planning on going in the near future. There, you can go wild and use all of your power—I'll need it."
"D-Daughter?" She yelped, eyes widened. I nodded, a smirk on my face.
"Is there a problem? You're the one who hugged so tightly at night while sleeping, calling your dad. Isn't that weird? I thought Phoenixes were an only-female race."
"T-They are, but… it's not like I don't know what a dad is," Flaria muttered in reply, cheeks flushed. "It's just… my mother died early, so I just really want… n-nevermind."
I smiled gently, then bent down and hugged her close.
"… I understand. I've never had any experience with this before, so I can't promise I'll be a great father figure. But uh… if it's any comfort, at least you'll have plenty of mothers to take care of you…? Ah, no, sorry… that was bad."
"Hehe… it's fine, you sorry excuse of a master," Flaria said with a light giggle, hugging back. "But if you think you can get to call you 'daddy'… nice try."
"I had no such intentions, but sure."
Flaria smiled warmly, and dug her face against my chest. With a loving look that a parent would give their child, I slowly stood back up, picking Flaria up with , and prepared to exit the Summoning Realm. But then, I realized.
"… Oh, yeah. We have to renew our contract, don't we?"
Flaria chuckled. "Idiot."
"Hey, is that how you speak to your parent? Ah, whatever…"
*****
After renewing the contract, Flaria and I returned to the real world. It would seem I spent longer in the Summoning Realm than I would've liked, as it was already early morning. None of the girls seed to be awake yet thanks to all the 'action' from last night, but it would seem… one was.
"… Good, morn-"
"Shh!" I instantly teleported off the bed and blocked her mouth, preventing her from saying anything further. Then, after making sure none of the other girls had been awoken, I made a beckoning gesture to her and slowly made for the door. The girl—Zhao Xiuying—followed, and we stepped outside the room without making any noise, changing into our daily clothes in the process.
Once we were out in the open courtyard, I sighed and sat down on the stairs leading up to the entrance of the building. Flaria climbed out of my lap and sat down beside , and Zhao Xiuying stood on my other side.
"… Good, morning," she said, finishing her sentence from earlier.
I nodded. "Good morning to you as well. You're quite the light sleeper, huh, Xiuying? None of the other girls noticed, but you did."
"…" She didn't say anything in reply to this, partly because she had no reason to.
"Is it because you're an elf?" I wondered, and she gave a brisk nod. "I see… so those ears aren't just for appearance's sake."
After a while, she spoke again.
"Where, did you, go?"
She seed strangely interested, so I figured there wasn't a point in lying to her.
"I went to the Summoning Realm," I replied. "And this… is Flaria."
"… Hi," she said, shooting a glare that said 'you didn't tell about this girl'. Of course I hadn't… she only joined just recently…
"Flaria… is she, a Golden, Phoenix, perhaps?"
I blinked in surprise. "You could tell…? At first glance?"
"I am, perceptive, to such things," she replied, finally taking a seat beside and staring up at the wide open sky. I followed her gaze and looked up as well, as did Flaria and Lorelei who sat perched on top of my shoulder in her fox form.
"… It's beautiful, isn't it?" I said, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
Zhao Xiuying blinked. "… Yes, it is."
Flaria silently reached out at the sky with her short hand, and seed to be grasping at the moon that would soon fade away as its brother, the sun, rose. Lorelei's beautiful black eyes in this fox form reflected the lunar light and the hazy blue sky of dawn.
"I want, to go there, soday," Zhao Xiuying suddenly said—a rarity for her.
I tilted my head. "Where? The moon?"
She nodded. "It is, most fascinating."
"Hm… co to think of it, what is out there, really?" Flaria murmured, resting her head against my shoulder. "I know about other planets and such… but is there sothing that lays beyond the expanses of this universe?"
"We'll have to go there ourselves to find the answer to that," a third voice suddenly chid in, and Flaria and I turned to find Yu An Yan along with the rest of the girls, all changed and awake, behind us. They smiled as one, and together, said in the warst voice possible:
"Welco ho, Flaria."
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