NTR: Barbarian Harem Conquest

Sunlight warmed the secluded upper gardens, where high stone walls kept the courtyard guards from snooping on their private afternoon.

Griselda slumbered peacefully on a cushion near the blooming roses, curled into a ball of soft feathers while Misha and Thora sat on the grass beside Kane.

”My soldiers are not worried about Elven steel, Kane,” Thora admitted quietly, tracing a blade of grass with her thumb as her playful mood shifted into something much more serious.

”We can break their shields and shatter their spears all day long, but fighting their illusions is an entirely different problem because a warrior cannot hit what she cannot see.”

”That is precisely why you have me, you stubborn barbarian,” Misha countered softly, pulling Thora’s hair ribbon from her fingers so she could weave a magical protection charm into the silk.

”My oracle sight is already tracking their magical triggers, and I am attuning your vanguard’s armor to deflect their mind tricks before we even cross the border.”

’It’s easy to forget that beneath all the jealousy and teasing, they are warriors putting their lives on the line for my ambition,’ Kane realized while watching Misha’s fingers glow with gentle energy.

’I need to make sure my system upgrades keep them alive when we cross the border, because losing either of them would break this empire.’

”You should test those magical upgrades on Kane right now,” Thora suggested with a sudden grin, tossing her wooden practice sword aside and rising to her feet.

”Stand up, Kane, because I want to see if your new agility is actually worth the coins you spent on it, or if you are just getting softer from drinking herbal tea all morning.”

”You are going to regret challenging me without weapons,” Kane warned, springing to his feet with a speed that made Misha blink in surprise as she continued weaving her spell.

”Try to catch me first!” Thora laughed, lunging forward with an open-handed grapple aimed right at his chest.

Dodging her initial sweep with ease, Kane caught her wrist and spun her around, though Thora immediately used his momentum to sweep his legs, sending them both tumbling onto the soft turf while Misha cheered from the sidelines.

”Careful with his tunic, Thora!” Misha called out while tying the enchanted knot into the ribbon.

”If you stain his clothes with grass, Firlia will deduct the laundry fees directly from your equipment budget!”

”Firlia can try to take my budget when she learns how to hold a spear!” Thora grunted, trying to pin Kane’s arm before he rolled her over and trapped her wrists against the lawn with a firm grip.

”His reflexes are at least thirty percent faster than last week, Thora!” Misha observed with an approving nod.

”When an Elven illusion shatters, there is a half-second delay before their spellcasters can draw a weapon, so you must strike the exact moment the air ripples around you!”

”Good to know!” Thora laughed, struggling against Kane’s hold for a moment before relaxing her muscles and letting her head fall back against the turf.

”Do you yield to your vanguard, Kane, or are we going to stay like this until sunset?”

”I think I am in the winning position here,” Kane smiled down at her, finally releasing her wrists and helping her sit up.

”Only because I slipped on the lawn,” Thora winked, though she happily accepted his hand.

Minutes later, both women were exhausted from the playful sparring and magical weaving, contentedly leaning their weights against him under the quiet shade of a blooming orchard tree while the afternoon breeze drifted past.

Peace never lasted long in Menual, however, and today proved no exception to that rule.

Without warning, the shadows pooling near the western garden wall stretched unnaturally before detaching from the stone entirely.

Seraphine stepped out of the gloom with silent steps, completely ignoring the instant defensive stances adopted by Misha and Thora as they sprang away from Kane.

”Do you warriors ever learn how to use doors?” Thora snarled, drawing a hunting knife from her boot while stepping squarely in front of Kane to shield him.

”Or do you just enjoy sneaking around orchards while people are trying to rest?”

”Doors are for people who enjoy waiting in lines, warrior,” Seraphine replied smoothly, casually tossing a sealed, blood-stained tube of parchment onto the lawn at Kane’s feet.

”I told you to keep the city intact, Kane, but you might want to read this before you start spending your new tax revenue on garden decorations.”

”How did you even bypass the garden wards, Seraphine?” Misha asked, her eyes flashing silver as her oracle sight flared to life, her expression tightening with sudden concern.

”I calibrated those barriers myself this morning.”

”You calibrated them against magic, oracle, whereas I simply walked through the shadow of your own guard towers,” Seraphine smirked, gesturing toward the parchment.

”Read the letter, Kane, because the threads of your little war just shifted southward.”

Breaking the wax seal with his thumb, Kane unrolled the parchment and scanned the intercepted Elven handwriting with a critical eye.

”The Elven Queen knows her border wards are down,” Kane announced, his jaw tightening as he read the translation aloud to his circle.

”Instead of sitting in Sylvander and waiting for our siege, she has already dispatched messengers to hire the Black Vanguard from the eastern wastes.”

”Those mercenaries are ruthless bastards,” Thora spat, lowering her knife slightly while her eyes narrowed in fierce anger.

”They burn villages just for the fun of it, and they fight with poisoned blades that rot a warrior’s flesh within hours of a scratch.”

”They are also remarkably expensive,” Seraphine pointed out, leaning her hip against the garden wall while cleaning her fingernails with a stiletto.

”The Queen is emptying her royal treasury to pay their advance fee, which means two thousand hardened killers are currently marching toward your southern border as we speak.”

A translucent blue screen chimed to life right in front of Kane’s eyes, projecting lines of glowing text that only he could see against the orchard trees.

[Emergency Quest Triggered: The Queen’s Gambit.]

[Objective: Neutralize or outspend the Black Vanguard before they reach Sylvander.]

[Reward: Elven Border Control & +5,000 Territory Reputation.]