Chapter 145 – Changes Are on the Horizon

Chapter 145 – Changes Are on the Horizon

“Are we heading straight home?” Cornelia asks as we ride inside the carriage together.

I turn my face to meet her gaze and smile at my beautiful wife. “Isn’t it a violation of privacy to spy on your husband's thoughts?”

She smirks and raises a brow at me, entwining her arm with mine. “Shouldn’t a loving wife worry about the reason her husband has been silent for quite a while?”

Chuckling, I lean in to place a tender peck on Cornelia’s cheek. “I was thinking about visiting a certain place considering all the plans we set in motion, including the King’s upcoming reforms. Would you like to accompany me or...?”

“Like you even have to ask. And you know that well. So, what’s wrong with it for you to bring it up like this?”

“Selina’s Splendid Servants,” I reveal the name of the establishment I’ve had on my mind.

“Ah. That female slave trader.” Cornelia cocks her head back in understanding. “Thank you for being considerate of me but I will naturally come with you. What do you need from her? I’m pretty sure it’s been a moment since your last visit and purchase. You are doing quite fine acquiring new employees on your own. And new wives.”

My charming magician smirks at me, pushing her perky chest into my arm. I steal Cornelia's lips this time and pepper them with a myriad of tiny kisses as we sigh into each other’s mouths softly. It’s truly a bliss to share such a delicate and casual moment with the person you love.

“Leaving aside the matter of my rapidly increasing number of wives,” I let out a little laugh and she joins too, “I just want to discuss the near future with her. But, nothing stops us from trying to break someone else out while we are there.”

“You wouldn’t be yourself if you didn’t.” Cornelia shows a warm smile. “Let’s go, then. We don’t have that much work personally. Most things are on the shoulders of Sirgia, Velen, Mari, and other girls doing their best to aid you on your new journey.”

“Our new journey,” I correct her with a boop on the nose. “Or did you decide to stay behind? Of course, I will respect any choice you make and you should be fully aware of that.”

Giving Cornelia a moment to gather her thoughts, I stand up and get closer to the carriage’s door. Using a small, square window, I lean outside and inform our driver about the change of destination. He accepts the new directions without a word of protest and I return to my beautiful companion.

“I’m sure you can feel how happy I am to have a chance to go with you guys, but I can’t stop having doubts,” she admits with an exasperated sigh. “Ice might be my thing but I don’t have much experience with water as big bodies of liquid, to be perfectly honest. Especially such deep ones. I’m afraid I will drag you guys down, or worse, panic at a critical moment.”

Instead of sitting next to her, I get on my knees in front of Cornelia and bring myself more or less to her eye level. Taking her hands into mine, I smile at her reassuringly.

“You are much braver and composed than you assume. Have you forgotten who came to save my ass during the underground raid?”

She snorts to the side but soon returns her gaze to me, with a faint trace of a blush covering her gorgeous cheeks.

“If you don’t feel like going, I will not drag you out by force. But, I would love to have you by my side too,” I continue. “We have some time before the departure. If you would like, we can go to the shore and get you a little bit more used to the underwater atmosphere. I could use a refresh of my memories too. It’s been a few years since I went diving.”

Cornelia strokes my hands with her fingers while pondering my words. After a few long seconds, she nods. “That’s a good idea. I’ll take you up on that.”

“Great.” I lean forward and present my courageous partner with a deep, passionate kiss. “And don’t forget who your man is. There are quite a few benefits making you so much stronger and tougher after you stole his heart for good. They are all yours to abuse.”

She lets out a stifled giggle and shakes her head. “Says the person who can duplicate most if not all of what I can do after capturing mine way before he could do any of that, you sly, sexy, beast.”

“Don’t tempt me like that or we might need another detour before we reach our destination.” I grin at her, pushing myself more into Cornelia.

She answers with an alluring smirk, running her fingers all over my lower back. “Are you saying that the Demigod of Lust isn’t able to wrap it up in fifteen minutes?”

I slam her into the backrest with my body and seal that beguiling mouth of hers, evoking a whimper from my beloved magician. Needless to say, I do my best to prove to Cornelia that there is no challenge of this nature that the Demigod of Lust can’t face without breaking a sweat. Although, the no sweat part might not be entirely correct.

For the next fifteen minutes, we share a more heated moment inside the carriage. Hall of Serenity does help us prevent any suspicious sounds from leaving but I’m pretty sure every passerby is aware of what is happening due to all that heavy rocking our vehicle is subjected to. We aren’t exactly holding back. Props to the driver for being able to lead the horses when the entire thing almost topples a few times during the more creative moments.

We wrap it up shortly after our ride stops and take a few minutes to rest. My Rejuvenate comes in handy in such situations, even though neither of us is that much tired from our fun activities. Cornelia’s added stats are no joke while I don’t even have to mention mine. We could have continued for hours if we wanted.

With our clothes and appearances fixed, we step out of the carriage and thank the driver with a nice tip. He humbly accepts the gesture and jumps back into his seat to move our ride off to the side, where he will patiently wait for our return. Sharing one more glance, we enter the peculiar, crimson building. It doesn’t look like anything changed in terms of Selina’s obsession with this colour.

Even though I haven’t visited this place in a long while, one of the employees recognizes me instantly and brings us out of the main lobby, where the majority of customers are talking with the receptionists or waiting for their turn. Selina’s place is as popular as ever, or even maybe a bit more. I’m not so sure about that.

After learning that we would like to request a meeting with the owner, the man who has taken charge of us leads us to a fancy lounge. We have to wait for Selina to be back as she is currently discussing a contract with some big names in the industry. I say that I don’t mind and we enjoy ourselves with some refreshments.

Soon enough, the door to the chamber opens and a familiar figure walks inside.

“Alastair. I thought you had forgotten about the little old me.” Madam Selina shows a brilliant smile.

I stand up to kiss the top of her hand as she walks closer. “How could I ever forget one of my valuable business partners who had a huge influence on raising the foundation of my establishment?”

“As fancy and courteous as ever.” She chuckles softly. “Welcome to my humble store too, Lady Cornelia.”

“Is it really that humble when it’s the most prominent in the market?” My wife smiles, sharing a handshake with the businesswoman.

“Oh, stop it. I don’t really care about rankings and such things. As long as money continues flowing and we keep growing, everything is well.” Selina gestures at us to sit down again. “Now, what do I owe this very pleasant visit? I was starting to think that you might not need me anymore with how many new girls you keep bringing in.”

“I can’t hide the fact that I would be more than happy to turn away from this kind of workforce source but I still believe that we have a chance to save at least a few people from their uncertain fate by partaking in it. Besides, I was just extremely busy recently. Life keeps dragging me around the entire kingdom all the time. Most of the things I watched over are now under the surveillance of my wives and employees,” I explain.

“I’m aware. Unfortunately, nothing ever is simple, especially not life. I’m glad that you are able to resolve your issues positively, though. You certainly have it rough at moments. I know perfectly well how hard it can be to put newly gained subordinates in line.”

I chuckle wryly. “Certainly.”

Why am I not surprised that she knows about our recent acquisition? Selina truly is someone who values information about not just her customers but also the general situation in the capital. Plus, I bet at least one or two of the brothel association's members were her clients in the past, to some extent. It’s only natural she would notice the change.

But, let’s first confirm that.

“Regarding our subordinates, am I right to assume that they shared some history together?” I ask.

Selina shows a gentle smile. “You are correct. There have been some regular orders.”

“I have to apologise, then. My intervention has certainly cut into them.” I politely lower my head. “But, if this might come as good news amongst the unfortunate ones, I do plan on letting those subordinates continue to employ your services under slightly altered guidelines.”

“You are going to offer the same deal to Human women as you are giving to the other ladies, right?” She raises a knowing brow in our direction.

“That’s certainly something he would do.” Cornelia sighs with a gentle chuckle.

“You got me.” I raise my hands into the air. “While Utopia doesn’t deal in Humans, the other locations don’t deal in non-Humans. The latter do have it much worse here—as in the system, not specifically your establishment—but that doesn’t mean we should completely ignore the former either. There certainly might be women in a financial crisis that are willing to get back out of it by joining us for a specific term. Besides, such a state of affairs won’t remain the same for long.”

Selina shows a flash of curiosity in her mature, inquiring gaze and I answer with a smile. She easily understands from it that I’m soon going to elaborate and smiles back at me enchantingly. There’s no way she wouldn’t sniff out an opportunity to do business or gain some useful information

“I’ll have my subordinates do a full inventory inspection and note down the girls that fit your criteria. Of course, as you have said, out of their own volition. We will properly explain the situation to them and not force anyone into anything. I know you value the opinions of others,” she replies.

After a moment of this confusing ride, we take a turn completely off the path and continue over flat grass for a while longer. Then, the flora in front of us clears up a bit and makes space for what looks like the bottom of a big cliff with a spacious cavern on its side. We stop next to it and exit the carriage.

“This path leads to a very beautiful natural formation. You can take a pleasant dip in a crystal-clear pool inside a charming cavern, dive down into multiple, twisting, underwater tunnels, or walk into a small beach through a hole in the western side,” the man explains. “This is a somewhat secret but popular meeting place amongst young couples. I’ll stay here and make sure no one interrupts your time, sir, madam.”

He gives us a knowing look and we share an awkward smile with Cornelia. This guy might be hard to convince that we didn’t look for a less populated beach for that reason after our last ride with him. But, let him think whatever he can if he shares such secrets with us.

We enter the cavern after thanking him properly. The natural tunnel gives slightly ominous vibes and the sporadic noise of water droplets hitting the ground makes Cornelia flinch a little. I pull her closer and we traverse the dark path with a small lantern. Thankfully, it’s not a long walk and we soon begin to see water reflections dancing on the wall in front of us.

And, it looks like our driver didn’t oversell the location in any way. What greets us after we step into the spacious, naturally eroded chamber is nothing short of a visual masterpiece. We slowly step into the tall and wide cavern with a hole high in the ceiling.

Sun rays fall through it and hit the crystal-clear pool on our side, bathing the entire place in an enchanting show of moving lights. Just as we’ve been told, there is a tiny underpass in the western wall, most likely leading outside, and we can see plenty of underwater tunnels escaping the cavern through the floor of the mesmerising pool

“This is so beautiful...” Cornelia whispers, perhaps afraid of disturbing this serene atmosphere. “I can’t believe there was a place like this in the capital...”

“People in love tend to find the most romantic spots when trying to escape from the crowd,” I murmur too.

“We have to show it to everyone. The girls would love it. It’s just so mystical.”

I chuckle quietly and pull her into a hug. “We will, but first, we should verify that it’s as amazing as it looks.”

She shows a dazzling smile and we share a loving kiss. Then, we decide to check the outside first and somehow make it through the narrow hole, forced to traverse it on all fours. But, it’s definitely worth it as we find a tiny, gravel beach surrounded by trees. The ground seems to descend slowly the farther it gets from the shoreline and it creates an elegant aura.

It’s a great place to chill but the charming cavern with a big pool and underwater tunnels will work better for what we have planned so we return inside for now. Moving to the ledge just in front of the fully see-through body of water, we begin to take off our clothes. Contrary to the beach, this pool is more like a hollow in the bottom of the chamber rather than a gradually descending platform.

I get myself down to my underwear and glance at Cornelia. She finishes taking off her robes and moves her hands behind her back while showing a stunning smile. Her simple but pretty bra falls to the ground, revealing her delicious breasts to the world. She wastes no time sliding her panties down too, and her entire, gorgeous body gets bathed in the dancing lights.

Not wanting to fall behind, I make my last piece dematerialise too and step closer to the lovely lady, pulling her into myself. Our lips quickly find each other and our tongues get entwined in a passionate dance. It’s just impossible not to get in the mood for some casual caresses in such a place.

But, I don’t keep us doing just that and place my leg between Cornelia’s. With just a tiny bump using my shoulder, she suddenly loses balance and stumbles over my thigh, falling to the back with a squeal. Of course, I let her drag me down with herself and we plunge into the cold water together.

After resurfacing in front of me, she splashes at me while giggling. “Jerk! I was enjoying that!”

I chuckle at her and swim closer, placing a peck on her lips. “Any more of it and we’ll get distracted. We can come here anytime for something more intimate.”

A noticeable blush tinges Cornelia’s cheeks and she nods, bringing our bodies together. We spin around while staring at each other for a while and then get to work. Well, it’s still a pleasure, of course. We first swim around together and I do take my time to admire her perfect figure as she traverses the clear water.

Whenever she swims on her back, I get enchanted by her magnificent chest, but whenever I do the same, Cornelia snickers at the raised mast cutting through the surface. I could take it down but if she is intentionally giving me her entire self to look at, it’s only natural to respond in kind. She didn’t have to take off her underwear earlier. That wasn’t part of the plan.

We meet near the ledge and smile at each other. There’s no doubt that we can handle ourselves above the surface.

“Alright. Do you want to use Sirgia’s artefact to breathe under the water or share the effects of my skill? I have an early but working prototype here so we can pick whichever you find more comfortable,” I speak first.

“The skill is more panic-friendly, right?” She chuckles, pushing herself closer to me. “I will be less of a nuisance if I am able to continue breathing even after something scares, shocks, or surprises me. I feel like Neira is more in tune with water so she has lower chances of making a mistake with that device.”

“Okay. I’ll first check What’s Mine Is Yours on myself and then Divine Matchmaker on you and see if they don’t interfere with each other when the same thing is picked.”

Cornelia nods and lets me go. I swim a little bit away from her and bring out the menus. After choosing Meru as the target of the first ability, I select Underwater Adaptation from her passives. Since she can live both on land and under the water, I’m pretty sure that’s the skill allowing her to function in the latter environment.

And surely, I immediately start sensing changes. A warm, ticklish sensation spreads over my chest and I do my best to keep my hands from touching it. If I’m not mistaken, the stinging lines I can feel are the forming gills. My vision changes to some extent too, becoming sharper. There are also some weird, swirly, misty traces under the water now, one coming off Cornelia and one off me. This might be useful.

“I kind of hoped you would get a handsome tail just like Meru’s but... damn. This much is quite alright too,” Cornelia comments with a big smile.

“Care to elaborate?” I chuckle, looking all over my body.

“Well, your eyes are now just like hers. I love the golden glow.” She points at my face. “Then, these gills look really sexy on you, I have to admit. They have a certain charm. Finally, your skin looks a bit slicker, I guess. I bet you are now also an expert diver.”

“Nice. Let’s test that out, shall we?”

I wink at her and plunge under the surface. The first noticeable thing is of course the fact that I’m not suffocating. It’s a little awkward holding yourself back from using your nose or mouth but it quickly grows on me. Soon, I start feeling like water is my second home.

All the various movements that are perfectly fitting the environment are somehow ingrained in my mind and body. With just a single thought, I start swimming around the pool at a quite decent speed, clearly much higher than I could achieve without Meru’s ability. I catch myself doing some weird motions but I can’t disagree that they propel me forward at quite a pace.

Making a quick lap around the entire hole, I burst out of the water next to Cornelia, causing her to squeal and giggle again as she watches me fly over her head and plunge back down. I resurface right after that stunt and stop right before her, pulling us close.

“You are now clearly like a fish in the water.” She chuckles. “It’s so fascinating watching you go.”

I grin at her. “Your turn now.”

Her smile slowly fades away and Cornelia takes a deep breath. After giving me a firm nod, she pushes herself back a bit and I try to activate the other skill. I don’t suffer any backlash or anything so I’m pretty sure it goes through. And, the answer is shown right before my eyes a moment later.

Just as she has observed my transformation earlier, I get to watch the changes in Cornelia’s body. Her eyes switch colour into black and gold, just like mine, and she slowly gets her gills over her lungs. I follow her skin as it gains a slicker texture and she soon becomes a Nershark-Human hybrid too.

“I feel... nice,” she says in wonder after opening her eyes.

“Try going underwater.” I smile at her.

Cornelia nods with an excited smile and follows my advice. I watch her get surprised and confused for a moment as she gradually takes in the fact that she is fine. After getting used to her new reality, she quickly starts copying my earlier movements and I watch her dart around the pool in awe. It truly looks damn cool.

She even mirrors my little jumping trick and lands next to me with a beautiful laugh.

“This is so much fun!” Cornelia shows a sunny smile, wiping some water off her face.

“Ready to explore these tunnels?” I grin at her.

“Last to find an exit has to walk around with a sparkly buttplug for the remainder of the bet!” she announces and kicks me straight in the chest, sending me spinning to the back.

“Hey!” I shout after her as Cornelia disappears into one of the mysterious holes with a charming giggle.

Chuckling to myself while shaking my head, I rush right after her.

“Game fucking on.”