7 No harem?

Boros put aside these headache provoking thoughts, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

'The reason for which I called you an idiot, and well deserved so if I may add, is that you didn't find it strange that we can communicate like this, using our minds...

I thought it was one of your spells, or because of the fact that you are an overseer of this dungeon. But now, now you tell me that you had no idea how this thing happened. Unbelievable... '

"Hey! There was no reason to assume that we can talk because of being soul mates! There are many different reasons that could have caused something like this!"

Carla didn't find it pleasant that a small uneducated snake is scolding her. Her voice resounding within Boros's head made him get another headache.

Boros gently rubbed his head using the only limb he has. His tail.

A soul mate... How is that supposed to work? I mean, I like her but... Does this mean that I won't be one of those harem kinds of the protagonist like in one of those novels?

Boros took a moment to wipe an imaginary tear from under his eye, looking wronged.

"What now? Why do you look like a sad puppy? Is it because I yelled?"

Despite being a grown man, his body was now that of a hatchling snake. The way he acted might look creepy to some, but to a gorgon maiden, he really looked like an adorable little snake that had his hopes and dreams crushed.

" Boros...? "

Seeing him that way really made her heart to throb and feel pained. She wasn't too mean to him, right? If such a situation lasts for a few moments more, a tear might really get shed by the gorgonian girl.

'What about my harem...?'

Hearing a single sentence made Carla lose all guilt that built up inside her from seeing Boros with such a heartbroken expression.

" You. Repeat that. Now!"

Boros realised he got too into the role and said something that lost him all the affection points he built until that point.

"Cheeky little snake! Shameless little snake!"

Carla's voice made it obvious that she was very mad at Boros. But what could he do now, the damage was already dealt. But how did that tranquil confession from earlier turn into this?

"The nerve of this guy! He barely spent a week in this world and is already dreaming bigger than some kings. Tch! A harem... Like I am not enough for him!"

'So that is what bothers you.'

Getting cut off by Boros, Carla realised her inner voice was loud enough to be heard by him. The anger quickly converted into embarrassment.

He heard that!

Carla quickly lost her will to fight. But why did she lash out so strongly? Was it because she felt jealous?

Hearing that you are not enough to someone you have a clear affection for is a painful feeling. If this pain would be described in a physical way, it would be best described as having thousands of wasps repeatedly stabbing at your heart.

Boros realised what his unrealistic expectation made Carla feel. Shame. He was ashamed for wanting to realise things that he has read about in his previous life.

Isn't this my chance at a new life? Why would I need to follow the things I have read about when this is my life. Having a harem? Unrealistic! To believe that a dozen or so of the world-class beauties would be fine with sharing the man which they love is insane. They would either harbour hate for each other for feeling inferior to one another, or they would grow to hate their lover.

And being a part of the harem really takes away all of the uniqueness and personality from the harem members.

I have decided! I will be a faithful companion to my soul mate. No matter how annoying she might be in the future!

I like her. She is literally that one soul in the whole universe that was made as a perfect match for me. Her pain is my pain, and her sorrow is my sorrow. I don't even want to imagine how it would feel if I would have to contest with a harem of handsome guys to get her affection.

... I need to apologise...

'Carla!'

Once Boros came up with his resolution, all that was left was to inform Carla and ease her suffering.

'If you promise that you won't make a reverse harem, then I will promise that I won't make a harem as well. I would hate it most of all if I had to fight with someone for your affection, not knowing how you felt about me. I can imagine what you might have felt because of my thoughtless comment, and for that, I am deeply sorry.'

Such a heartfelt apology caught Carla somewhat by surprise. The number of times that silly little snake made her blush since they first met, got Carla at a loss for words. They might be soul mates, but there is just something about Boros that made her laugh, with her mind at ease and her heart full of warmth.

Such a comfortable sensation was something Carla didn't have much time to enjoy for the past few years.

"A destined person, a real soul mate... Fine, I promise! But we only recently got to know each other... This all seems like it is going too fast..."

'Yea, I know. For now, we can be counted as friends that like each other. Only time can make a real relationship bloom, weather we are soul mates or not.'

Coming to a common ground, Boros thought that it would be best to learn a bit more about this soul mate business.

"You see, having a soul mate gives a couple of perks to the soul mates when they are within a certain range of one another. The perks get better as the love becomes deeper, but for starters, there is this mental connection."

'And that is why we can hear each other... But how come you can see me and I can not see you?'

" Being able to see you is not related to our connection, rather it has to do with me being an overseer of this dungeon. I am now in what could be called a control room."

- - -

In a dark room, surrounded by walls made of chiselled stone. A young girl, not looking older than 17, sat in a stone chair facing a strange-looking distortion in the air. The distortion was like a vertical pool of mercury, taking on almost a mirror-like shape. But where a mirror-like reflection of the girl would normally be, a crystal clear projection of a snake could be seen.

This girl sat and softly smiled looking at a lazy looking snake which just laid in a small crevice of the stone fountain, being almost perfectly still.

The girl in question had a slim and slightly petite physique. If she stood up, she would be 152 centimetres tall. Her limbs didn't have any excess of either fat or muscle, giving her a graceful look.

She let her hair loose over her shoulders, resembling a silvery-white waterfall. The hair itself would reach all the way down to her knees, but its length was not the most eye-catching aspect.

Withing the silvery cascade of hair strands hid a number of scaly bodies with a white shine.

The scaly bodies made it obvious that the girl was not human, but rather a gorgon. The scaly extensions had two golden glowing eyes, making them appear like white jade sculptures depicting divine serpents. Were they not gently moving, proving their liveliness, they really would be easily mistaken for simple ornaments in her hair.

Her skin was porcelain white, with no imperfections. The only thing that stood out were occasional white scales, giving her an otherwordly appearance.

Her golden snake-like eyes made it hard for people to look away, giving her a soul snatching charm.

And her rosy pink lips looked like they would taste like the sweetest treat that both men and women would only be able to see in their sweetest dreams.

Her appearance could best be described as a real kingdom toppling beauty.

Carla lazily stretched out her arms, getting the light silky robe to expose some of her belly skin.

She wore what looked like a two-piece pyjama made of silk.

She barely had time to move around since she started looking over the dungeon, but ever since she met Boros she mostly sat in this office-like room.

The room was not too small, but not too big either. In the back of it stood a desk made of what looks like dark oak. Behind the desk, Carla was sitting in a comfortable chair which was wrapped in some kind of leather. At the moment, Carla was facing the wall, left of the desk, looking at the screen-like anomaly.

Behind the desk and the chair stood a window, but either because of the way it was made or because of some magic, only some light could come through, not letting anyone see inside or outside. But the faint blue colour that seeped through could not conceal that a clear sky was behind this window.

Besides the desk, the chair, an anomaly and Carla, there were also a few shelves and two potted plants.

The two plants looked like two bonsai trees, but the major difference from the bonsai trees that Boros is familiar these was that these two gave off blueish light orbs!

Even if Boros didn't know from all of the obvious clues that he is on a magical world, just seeing these two bonsai-like trees glowing with the mysterious lights floating around them, he would surely come to that conclusion.

Well, in his case he would either think that he inhaled some weird gasses or that he is in a strange new world.

Carla, however, didn't mind the plants too much. She was more interested in watching Boros. Probably because their souls are linked by the strings of fate, Carla could find comfort simply by looking at him, no matter what his current form was.

Now and then she would stand up and walk in circles around the room, but other than that she really had nothing else to do other than to talk with Boros.

Even though their conversations were being held mentally, Carla still talked out loud, just to kill the constant silence that almost made her go insane.

At the moment she looked at the lazy snake and said: "Either way, being an overseer just means that I need to make sure nothing destructive happens to the dungeon, and if needed to resolve conflicts that might arise between the monsters that moved into the dungeon."

'A while back, you said that you are a temporary overseer, right? How long will you be here then?'

Once Boros finished his questions, Carla stopped in the middle of her walk around the room, her smile slightly withdrawn.

But after no more than three seconds, her smile returned, as if to suppress the not so pleasant thoughts that crept back into her mind.

"I am doing a favour for a friend... Or is she doing a favour for me? Whatever might be the case, I am to be here for a single month, but almost two weeks passed already..."

Carla exhaled after finishing her sentence. Boros could hear that something was bothering her from the way she talked.

'Until now, the most we talked about was some general information about this world, and some things from my previous life... But I still don't know much about you.'

Boros realised that Carla must be going through something in her life and that she is trying to avoid it by coming to the dungeon as a temporary overseer. But he also felt deep inside that knowing more about her problems would make it easier for himself to help her if he can in any way.

"You know how I said that I have had a long life and pretty much the whole conversation we had the first time we talked?"

The Boros, as seen in the mirror-like anomaly, tilted his head and stroked his chin with his tail, appearing as if thinking about something profound.

'Yes, that was before I could control which of my thoughts could be heard by you... Now that I think about it, you acted like some big shot. But now I see you were all mirrors and smokes."

"Pffft!"

Hearing Carla lose her composure, Boros first thought that she became angry, but he was surprised to hear her laugh like that.

'Did I say something funny?'

"No, no! Sorry, it is just that I really did overdo it back then."

It has been just a couple of days and we already talk like it was something that happened way back in the past. My parents used to be that easygoing... What has gotten into me, It hasn't been a month since I last saw my family and I already miss them. I wonder how my brother is holding up with all that mess...

"The way I acted before was just me trying to imitate that friend of mine that let me be here in her place for a month. By the human calendar, she is 152 years old but she is a Naga. To her, that is like the late twenties... By the way, don't let her know I told you her age, she would quite literally squeeze me until I was a size smaller."

'Hahahaha, don't worry, I won't tell her, unless... Hehehehe! "

Even for a snake, you are cold-blooded! That laugh sounded so sinister! What did I do in my past life to get him for my soul mate?!

" Cough! Anyway, nagas are similar to us gorgons, but her forms range from half-snake to full snake, while gorgons go from humanoid to half snake. Nagas are also very large when in full snake form. So her squeeze is nothing to scoff at."

'Cool.'

"That is all? Just cool?"

'Well, I will be more amazed once I see it in person, but until then I will just have to be cool with it.'

Seeing the way this conversation was leading, we would once again steer far away from the initial theme. It must be because we both have so much to say, but we always manage to get off track.

' Carla, back to the point, please. '

Carla once again set in the chair after making herself dizzy from so much walking in a circle. Any more of this and she would not be able to tell left from right.

Boros and I really wander off with our conversations... At least we will always have something to talk about!

"I think it would be best if I redo my introduction from scratch!"

Carla looked into the anomaly with a serious expression, as if she could no longer try and run away from the problems from which she hid by coming to this dungeon.

"My name is Carla Silverscale, I am a daughter of the Royal Serpentine Silverscale family. My brother is the current king of the Reptilian Island."

At this point, a pretty smile returned to Carla's face as she said in a teasing tone: "I am somewhat of a princess, you know?"