Chapter 916: For the man you love [1/2]
As Exa briefed me about the situation, I felt all four of my girls stir. Though I did not see their faces, I could sense their concern for my state of mind.
'Anata…are you okay? If you are troubled, I am here to listen,' Aki declared in a warm tone. She gently wrapped my hand in hers, as if to protect it from the cold.
'Yes, Kamisan. I am fine now. Thank you.'
'We were kind of worried about you, Darling. You tend to be really emotional when you see how fucked up the world is. It's why you are so kind, but your heart needs to be stronger.'
Though her words were quite harsh, my Italian lover intertwined our fingers in a lover's hold. She then hugged our hands to her chest. Though I felt the heft and weight of her soft breasts, the affectionate gesture made me happy.
'It did bother me for a bit; I won't lie, Jo. But at the end of the day, it does not change what we have to do. Well, more like I have new goals to set.'
Robyn, who was in my lap, turned around and snuggled into my chest, 'What do you mean, Possum? New goals? We already have a ton. Aren't you pushing yourself too hard?'
'Hmm. More like I found new resolve in the things I only had a vague idea about. That sort of thing. Don't worry, Kitten, I will be okay. Knowing that you girls are with me is enough.'
'As much as I want to say you are cheesy, that line is true, Honey. Whatever your worries, we will be right here to solve them with you. Can you share more about what these new goals are?' Bella inquired as she brushed the top of my hair.
Feeling the immense affection and support of my harem melted all my fears like snow. This must be biology. Skin-to-skin contact with loved ones gives a rush of positive feelings.
'We need to create a breakwall for the entire world,' I declared.
"Ha?" "WOW!" "Seriously?" "Anata…"
'I will explain it to you all later. Let's finish the discussion with Zanele first. Cover for me if I say something wrong, my {Kindred}. I didn't exactly pay attention to her story.'
'Yes!' x4
"Given these circumstances, it is normal for weaker clans to be sacrificed to aid my husband. It was good that Amari was an outcast. Otherwise, he would be among those offered to the demons," Zanele continued. She didn't know we had spaced out.
Bella adjusted her glasses as she asked, "How many of the 77 princes are born of {Kindred}?"
"That would be 32. Of the 60 members of the Royal harem, 17 are considered {Kindred} families. They are powerful Descendants that hold the real power on the continent. The other 43 women are like me, lovers given to establish friendly relations."
"Hmm. As Africa has a total of 54 countries, I can see why each would desire to send at least one woman to the Immortal-sama. Then how many of the princes are on the brink of soul collapse? Amari-san didn't say that only Prince Olamide is the one in danger."
"Sigh, yes, it is as you say. The battle for Hannibal's inheritance will begin once he dies. "The {Kindred} families want to manipulate potential threats. They want them to die, lost to the demons," the matriarch said, her voice mournful.
After breathing a deep sigh, Zanele stroked the beads on her neck. Like a relic from which to draw strength, she used it for support.
"As far as I am aware, there are currently eight of them. The clans that lose their princes will lose their right to interfere in politics. The concubines alone will not be able to save them from being destroyed."
I had often believed that harems in real life would never work. And hearing the disgusting practices made me wince. These people tried to strengthen one another by sharing blood. Yet rather than respect that, the ones who are in power do everything to maintain it.
"Heh. Smart. Delay the succession, then weaken the opposition. I guess the {Kindred} families are trying to drag each other down while the Revenant is being a cunt? Does the Immortal wanker have an adviser or something? Someone neutral?"
Robyn's analysis was quite accurate. To prevent the birth of a stronger Reaper, the {Kindred} gaslight those with potential. As the clans fight the demons, they ensure only the {Kindred} clans remain strong for the battle to come.
The matriarch thought for a bit before she replied. I noticed that her hands trembled, and she had to grab her wrist to steady it. It was during times like these that I saw a glimpse of the childlike trauma still in Zanele.
Some of these people must frighten her to produce such an effect. And despite living for over a century without struggles, there can be no growth.
"There is. But the {Kindred} clans have bought him. His name is Onyebuchi Ndekwu. He is a powerful specter that manages the Royal Harem. But unlike those of the east, he isn't a eunuch. And it is an open secret that he indulges himself in the Royal Harem."
"Wow! So this bastard cucks the Revenant while managing them? How is he not dead yet?" Jo exclaimed in disbelief.
"He is cunning; he silences the harem by exposing their infidelity. With most of us being the hope of our people, most of us are just forced into submission. Onye tried to do the same with me; I ran away in fear, which is why I do not live in the royal harem."
"That is disgusting. I agree with Jo; how can the members of the Royal Harem allow this bastard to taint them? If it were our family, we would split the man into eight ways before he could even touch a Siren."
"Hmph. Damn straight. I would make him choke on his own cock and rip him in two from ass to forehead with a mortar round," I added.
"Haha, I would have to agree. Your harem and ours have many differences. I am incredibly jealous that all of you have enamored the Successor. He expresses his love and desire through both words and actions. The Immortal has no time for such things."
"Let's keep on point, Zanele-san. Shujin came here to help Amari. While he promised to aid you and the Soldat's, the love affairs of a Revenant are different. Without clear boundaries, Africa will involve us in every problem you have. We only have a short window to help."
Aki's curt comment, while heartless, showed her devotion to me. In both work and play, there had to be boundaries. If not, the things Zanele needs me to do would increase significantly. And unfortunately, the longer we stayed, the riskier it got.
So long as the other Successor was here, staying longer than necessary was not advisable. Normally, Aki was respectful. But I noticed how tense her body became. She must have been fighting her impulses to just dump everything and run.
'But it kinda feels bad to just leave her here to fend for herself. I need to create a power base for her. With my new goal of strengthening humanity as a whole, I would need to do it in the future anyway.'