Is It Wrong To Capture Waifus In The Dungeon?

Astraea gasped.

"What pretty eyes..."

I put on a show of fidgeting under her intense gaze, though I enjoyed every second of it. "You're making me blush..."

"...I can't help it if you show me something like that." She teased with a mischievous smirk, composing herself rather quickly. But then her expression turned serious, her tone firmer.

"Now then," she continued, her voice carrying an unmistakable authority. "Adam or Satoru? What should I call you... no, which one are you really?"

Her gaze pierced my soul, the aura of a true goddess shining through. Most people would probably crumble under the weight of her stare, but not me.

"Both," I replied, easily shrugging off the pressure. Lying wouldn't get me anywhere and Astraea would see through it anyway. "I'm both. But I guess I'm more Adam, so just call me that."

Astraea visibly relaxed at my straightforward response.

"That's... intriguing. You have a common name and one that sounds like it hails from the Far East. Are you from there? And your eyes... they are not ordinary." Her curiosity shone through, her fascination evident in her expression.

"Not from the Far East, but somewhere very similar," I answered happily. "As for my eyes, they're called the 'Six Eyes.' They're inherent to my clan and let me do a ton of cool stuff."

Astraea tilted her head slightly, watching me thoughtfully. "I've never heard of any place like the Far East or of these Six Eyes before." She admitted. "You're a mysterious child."

"I guess I am. Does that turn you off?" I asked with a grin, meeting her blue eyes with my own.

Astraea let out a soft laugh. "No, silly. Everyone is entitled to their secrets. But I believe you will tell me in due time."

Something about her certainty made me pause. Astraea was a sharp goddess despite her motherly persona.

I debated for a moment, then decided to throw her a bone. Not the whole truth, of course—no mentioning the company or how she was a fictional character to me just a day ago—but enough to satisfy her curiosity.

"I don't mind telling you a little," I offered.

"Oh?" She regarded me with interest. "Then go ahead."

I nodded, putting on a serious face.

"Chaos," I said gravely. "Are you aware of it?"

Astraea's eyes widened slightly before she let out a soft huff. "Am I aware of it, you ask? That's quite something—a mortal child questioning a goddess about divine knowledge."

I smirked proudly. "Oh, I know a lot more than you'd think. But yes, my situation is tied to Chaos. It's complicated, and I don't plan on revealing much, but please trust me when I say I have no harmful intentions."

And I meant it.

Even if my power as a contractor technically meant enslaving others, I had no intention of letting them suffer. If anything, they'd be better off.

Because if they were going to be stuck with me, I'd make sure it was the best life they'd ever known. I wasn't some self-proclaimed savior, but if my actions ended up looking that way, then so be it.

My end goal was simple: kill the dragon and enjoy a peaceful harem life. Lustful? Sure. Cruel? Not particularly. Insane? Debatable.

But within my own flexible moral standards? I'd do whatever I wanted. Even if it meant taking shortcuts with girls who proved too difficult to seduce the traditional way by stamping them.

That said, I doubted it would come to that.

This world was relatively chill—if you weren't a scrub. And with my Gojo template, I was already at a solid level three or four in terms of power. Realistically, though, no one was touching me with Limitless, unless I let my guard down.

But I digressed.

"That's something only time will reveal," Astraea murmured, her gaze distant, lost in thought. But then, she shook herself from her reverie and gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I got distracted. I didn't mean anything negative. Just… instinct, I suppose."

I waved it off. "No worries. I got to admire the lovely face of a goddess uninterrupted, so I'd say it's a fair trade."

She chuckled, her soft laughter filling the space. "You're quite simple, aren't you?"

At that moment, I knew I'd made the right choice. Hestia, Loki, Freya, Hephaestus—the rest were overrated. Astraea was the best. And I'd make damn sure everyone else knew it too.

"That aside, " I stretched, slumping in my seat, "any idea when your children will be back?"

"Hmm? Are you tired?" Astraea asked warmly. "They should return by evening—very soon, actually." She glanced out the window, and I followed her gaze.

The sky had turned a soft orange, the sun preparing to set. Birds flew overhead, and people bustled below, some pushing carts of goods, others heading home after a long day. Weary adventurers trudged along the streets, caked in dirt and blood.

"They can't let their guard down with Evilus lurking," Astraea murmured. "That's why they sometimes return late, even with their strict curfew."

"Which means I might have to spend the night on the streets..." I sighed dramatically.

Astraea barely supressed a laugh. "Right, you must be new to Orario. That makes you a freeloader. But don't worry, we have guest rooms."

I shielded my eyes in mock reverence. "Your radiance is blinding, my goddess. Thank you for your generosity!" I dropped to one knee like a knight swearing fealty.

She giggled. "Stop messing around." Then, standing, she motioned for me to follow. "Come, I'll show you to your room."

"By your command." I sprang to her side in an instant.

She merely shook her head at my antics as she started leading me down a corridor.

Then, my senses tingled. I glanced back with my Six Eyes and spotted four figures sneaking around outside—Alise, Ryu, Kaguya, and Lyra. They looked... alert.

"Wait, looks like they're here," I said, halting Astraea.

She blinked before her face brightened. "Let me let them in."

But judging by their movements, that wouldn't be necessary.

Right on cue, the front door burst open, and the four girls stormed in like a hurricane, surrounding me with weapons drawn and murderous intent in their eyes.

"Protect Lady Astraea!" the redhead in front barked, already lunging at me, sword in hand.

"Roger!" the others echoed, two of them rushing past me to shield Astraea while the remaining two moved to apprehend me.

Alise swung the pommel of her sword at my head while Ryu aimed a sweeping kick at my legs.

But their attacks never connected, despite looking like they should have.

"Huh?" Alise staggered.

"What the—?!" Ryu retreated swiftly.

They looked stunned at their attacks having failed to even graze me.

A misunderstanding, huh? I supposed it made sense—they had every right to be wary of an unknown presence in their home, especially in times like these. With most of their members absent, the extra caution was justified.

Still, as I watched their tense expressions, an amusing idea crossed my mind. Maybe it was the Gojo in me, but the temptation to stir things up a little was just too strong.

Brushing imaginary dust off my shoulders, I smirked. "You're going to have to try harder than that. How do you expect to protect Lady Astraea with moves like those?"

Alise and Ryu stiffened, their pride clearly pricked. Then, without missing a beat, they roared in unison and charged again—only this time, with real intent. Alise flipped her sword to the sharp edge, and Ryu drew hers without hesitation.

"Alise! Ryu! Stand down—he's not an enemy!" Astraea's voice cut through the tension.

"Lady Astraea?!" Kaguya and Lyra rushed to her side, alarmed by her sudden intervention. But it was too late—she had already stepped between me and the charging girls.

"Wha—"

Their eyes widened in shock, but their momentum was too strong. They barely managed to pull back their weapons before colliding—hard—and tumbling to the floor in an undignified heap.

"Whoa! Lady Astraea, are you okay?!" Alise groaned, rubbing her forehead. Then she blinked. "Huh… that was kinda soft?"

"Alise! Lady Astraea!" Ryu scrambled up, only to see Astraea standing there, completely unharmed, while Alise lay sprawled on the ground.

"Huh?"

I sighed dramatically, pouting as Astraea shot me a disapproving look. "No fun..." I muttered. I had extended Limitless at the last second to shield her, of course.

Astraea exhaled, her expression softening. "Thank you. But please, don't provoke them for no reason."

I whistled innocently and looked away.

She pressed her fingers to her temple and shook her head before turning back to the still-confused girls.

"And you two," she said, her voice tinged with exasperation, "don't fall for such obvious provocations."

"Yes, Lady Astraea..." Ryu muttered, shoulders slumping.

Alise coughed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Ahaha..ahem! I had no idea we were expecting a guest tonight!"

Astraea nodded. "We weren't, originally. But girls, meet Adam. He'll be staying with us for some time."

All four of them turned to me in unison, their gazes sharp.

"What?!" Ryu was the first to blurt out. "No way! How can we live under the same roof with a guy?!"

"Relax." I grinned at her. "I won't do anything inappropriate..."

Ryu pointed a finger at me, eyes burning with suspicion. "That smug face of yours is inappropriate!"

"Calm down, you perverted elf." Kaguya sighed, striding forward with Lyra beside her. "Why is your mind always stuck on the most trivial things?"

"Heh." Lyra smirked. "If Lady Astraea allowed him in, there's a reason for it."

"That's right, Lion. Have faith in our goddess!" Alise declared dramatically, hands on her hips. "Sooo… why are you here, Adam?" Her grin turned playful. "Oh, and I'm Alise Lovell, by the way! But I'm sure you already knew about the amazing me."

I winked. "Nice to meet you, cutie. Adam Might, future strongest man in all of Orario."

Alise flushed slightly before laughing it off.

"Big words for a nobody I've never heard of," Kaguya remarked dryly.

"Hahaha, ambitious, huh?" Lyra slapped my back, a little too hard.

I winced, already having deactivated Limitless. "Oof—easy there. You trying to break me?"

"My bad, my bad." She held up her hands, but her skeptical look lingered. "You seemed pretty sturdy a second ago..."

"Kaguya!" Ryu fumed, whirling on the others. "How can you all be fine with this?!"

But we all ignored her.

Alise cleared her throat, still looking a little flustered. "Yep, I'm cute! Anyway, that dark-haired eastern beauty is Kaguya, and the pink-haired prum is Lyra!"

"And the seething elf over there is Lion," Kaguya added smoothly, smirking as Ryu clenched her fists.

"We are the Astraea Familia! Allies of justice and protectors of peace!" Alise announced proudly, striking a heroic pose.

The room fell into an awkward silence.

Even Ryu—who had been in full outrage mode seconds ago—covered her face in embarrassment. Kaguya and Lyra sighed almost in unison, their expressions weary. Only Astraea remained unaffected.

"A-Alise, how can you say that with a straight face…?" Ryu groaned, peeking between her fingers.

"She's the worst," Kaguya muttered with an elegant flick of her fan. "But that's our captain for you."

Lyra sighed, shaking her head with a wry smile. "No stopping her now.

Alise burst into laughter, clearly enjoying the banter. "You've got spirit, Adam! I like that! What familia are you from? Though... you do look kinda familiar..."

I blinked, tilting my head slightly at that last part. "None. But hopefully yours soon."

Her eyes widened before realization dawned on her. "Oh, wait! You're that guy who was yelling about taxes in the middle of the street!" She declared triumphantly—before almost doubling over at my words. "Wait, what?! You're not in a familia?!"

Oh, shit. She saw that?

I could feel a blush creeping up, but thankfully, stress defense kicked in, keeping my expression perfectly nonchalant. Phew.

"It's fine if you want to keep that confidential, but don't think we're as gullible as that perverted elf whose head is filled with nothing but nonsense," Kaguya scoffed, shooting a disdainful look at Ryu.

Said elf bristled, practically hissing like a scorned kitten.

"Right. You clearly have some sort of barrier skill," Lyra noted, her sharp gaze locked onto me.

"It's true," Astraea confirmed, stepping in. "His circumstances are... a bit special."

Lyra hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Huh. If Lady Astraea says so, then it must be true... but I still find it hard to believe."

"No way! Are you like those elves with innate magic? But you're clearly human!" Alise gasped, eyes practically sparkling with excitement.

"Alise, please, slow down with the enthusiasm," Astraea gently chided.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry. That was probably too personal, huh?" She backed off with a sheepish laugh.

"Technically, I guess?" I shrugged, not minding her curiosity. "But it's actually the result of 400 years of selective breeding in my clan."

"Ooooh!" Alise let out an awed sound.

Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of a clan, while Lyra still looked at me with skepticism. Ryu, meanwhile, simply kept glaring at Kaguya and me in silence.

"Alright, alright," Astraea said, addressing her children with warmth. "I know you all must have a lot of questions, but Adam just arrived, and you just got back from patrol. Let's leave the rest of this conversation for tomorrow and get some rest, okay? You can also help him get used to your daily routine while you're at it."

Alise slumped in disappointment but still managed a thumbs-up in my direction. "Looks like you're in for a long stay here. I'll make sure you learn how to enact proper justice!"

Ryu groaned. "Alise... let's just go. We still need to do the debriefing..."

"Yeah, see you later, dude." Lyra waved as she turned to leave.

"Hmph. Newbies everywhere," Kaguya scoffed. "As if dealing with this elf wasn't enough, now we have another one with an inflated ego."

"I prefer to call it confidence!" I shot back.

She merely scoffed again. "Oh, well. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Astraea nudged me lightly. "Come on, I'll show you to your room before heading to the meeting room."

I nodded, and we separated from the group, walking down a sparsely decorated hallway in comfortable silence.

Eventually, Astraea stopped at the end and gestured toward a door. I opened it, revealing a modest room with barely any furniture—just a bed, a chair, and a small table.

Well, I couldn't ask for much.

"Thank you, Lady Astraea." I shot her a small smile. "Feel free to attend to your children now. I won't cause any trouble."

"You better not. For your own sake." She smirked playfully. "Or else..."

She stayed for a few more minutes, going over some basic details—where the bathroom and kitchen were, general house rules—before finally heading off.

Once alone, I flopped onto the plain bed, thinking about how to approach tomorrow.

If everything went according to plan, I'd probably have a falna by tomorrow night.

I wasn't about to underestimate the power of my company-given lures. Those things were ridiculously effective. I'd already caught the way all four of them kept glancing at my face—even Kaguya, despite her hostility. And considering I had Tsundere Service, the more aggressively she resisted, the harder she'd eventually fall.

So really, the only thing left to figure out was how to spend my points. Should I go for more templates, or save up for a powerful heritage?

I idly browsed the catalog, weighing my options, until a knock at the door interrupted my thoughts about an hour later.