Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Morning Revelations
The morning sunlight, usually a welcome sight, felt jarringly bright to Alex's eyes. He stirred beneath the silk sheets, his skin bare, his body pleasantly sore — not from battle, but from something far deeper, far more intimate.
A blush crept up his neck as memories of the previous night, fragmented yet vivid, flooded his mind. Her impossibly long black hair, the shimmering gown, the intensity of her gaze... and the overwhelming power that had seized him. A wave of heat rushed through him, and to his mortification, he felt his body responding in full, an undeniable, throbbing testament to the profound beauty and raw passion he had experienced.
The room was quiet. Still.
Then the door creaked open.
Alex instinctively flinched, pulling the sheet higher, but it was too late. Olvia stepped inside, her elegant features softening with concern as she looked towards his bed. Her eyes, initially assessing his state, widened slightly, then her cheeks flushed a delicate pink. The sheet, hastily pulled, did little to conceal the prominent evidence of Alex's state, clearly visible beneath the thin fabric.
Olvia's gaze flickered around the room – the disheveled bed, the faint, exotic scent that lingered in the air – and a knowing, embarrassed blush deepened on her face. The silent implication was clear: the room bore all the hallmarks of a hot, passion-filled night.
"Alex, I... I came to check on you," Olvia stammered, her voice a little higher than usual. She quickly noticed, despite the awkwardness, that his most grievous wounds seemed to have vanished. The grim lines of yesterday's mental exhaustion were replaced by a surprising, albeit bewildered, vitality.
"Your wounds... they're gone. And you don't seem as... drained." Her mind, usually so composed, felt a sudden jolt. Alex was like a younger brother to her, a bright, capable young man she genuinely cared for, almost like a cherished son. To see him in such a state, yet radiating such unexpected vigor, confused and flustered her.
Before Alex could formulate a reply, the door opened again. Tsunade, now visibly several months pregnant, stepped into the room, her brow furrowed with concern. Her eyes swept over the scene:
Olvia, blushing furiously, and Alex, naked and obviously aroused, trying to hide himself beneath a barely-there sheet. The disarray of the bed, the intimate scent in the air, the entire tableau screamed of one thing.
A vein throbbed in Tsunade's forehead. Her concern instantly morphed into a furious, volcanic rage. The image of Alex, who in her mind was akin to a cherished, if sometimes troublesome, little brother, supposedly recovering from near-fatal injuries, caught in what appeared to be a compromising and utterly disrespectful situation with Olvia, ignited a primal protective fury.
"ALEX" Tsunade roared, her voice shaking the very foundations of the mansion. Without a moment's hesitation, her fist, imbued with a fraction of her monstrous strength, shot out.
THWACK!
Alex, still dazed and flushed, didn't even have time to react. He was sent flying off the bed with a yelp, landing with a thump on the floor. He landed upside down, the sheet tangling around his legs, leaving him completely exposed, his embarrassment now compounded by physical humiliation.
"Tsunade! Wait!" Olvia cried, rushing forward, her face scarlet. "It's not what you think!"
Tsunade, still fuming, glared down at Alex. "Not what I think?! You two were here, the room is..." She gestured wildly. "And you, Alex! Seriously wounded, and you pull something like this?!"
Alex groaned, pushing himself up, desperately trying to untangle himself. "Tsunade, please! It's not Olvia! She just arrived!"
"And you, Tsunade," Olvia added quickly, trying to diffuse the explosive situation, "you also just came in. There was... a visitor."
Tsunade paused, her rage warring with confusion. She looked from Olvia's genuine distress to Alex's mortified, yet genuinely bewildered, expression. "A visitor? What visitor? And how are your wounds gone? And why do you look stronger than ever? And why does this room smell like... well, like it does?!"
Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair, finally managing to pull the sheet fully over himself. The embarrassment was excruciating, but he knew he had to be honest. He recounted everything from the previous night: the mysterious visitor and her profound presence, her identity as Afureia, her teasing words, the overwhelming sensation that led to... his actions. He described the system notifications, the terrifying penalty regarding humanoid summons, and the shocking, yet undeniable, surge in all his stats.
He looked at their stunned faces. "I know this sounds insane," he admitted, his voice softer, heavier. "But it happened. And seeing you, both of you, reacting like this... and remembering the past night... It made me realize something." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Tsunade and Olvia. "I've been so focused on power, on survival, on preparing for the next enemy... I've neglected to truly live. To enjoy what I have, who I have."
He looked directly at Tsunade, then at Olvia. "This world, the Qin world, has given me so much. A home, a purpose, and... you. Both of you. Erza, Kaelen, Akane… they were family. And their loss… it has brought a clarity I didn't expect." He took a deep breath. "Tsunade, I... I wish to have a harem. And I wish to marry Erza now. She has been by my side through everything, she is my shield, my blade, my rock. And I... I want you both to be part of my life, truly. All of you. I want to build a life here, beyond just fighting."
Tsunade stared at him, her initial rage slowly morphing into a complex mix of shock, exasperation, and a hesitant understanding. The sheer audacity, the raw honesty of his declaration, coupled with the insane tale of a divine visitor and sudden power-ups, was almost too much to process.
Her eyes flickered between Alex, bruised but radiating a new, profound strength, and the still-blushing Olvia, who looked equally overwhelmed by the confession. The thought of Alex, her little brother-figure, wanting a harem was... something to contend with, but his earnestness and the recent trauma seemed to lend an odd sincerity to it all.
She contemplated for a long, silent moment, her gaze unfathomable. A harem was not uncommon in this world, but Alex was different. And her own feelings for him, complicated by her past grief and her present pregnancy, were undeniable. His words about "living" and "enjoying" resonated deeply, especially after the recent losses.
Finally, she let out a long, weary sigh. "A harem, Alex..." she murmured, shaking her head. "You truly are a handful." Her expression softened slightly, a hint of a smile. "Fine. I agree. But hear this, Alex." Her eyes, though no longer blazing with anger, held a dangerous glint. "If you ever, ever neglect me, or take me for granted, or fail to honor what you've just asked for... I will personally beat the living crap out of you. Do you understand?"
Alex nodded fervently, a genuine smile breaking through his earlier mortification. "Perfectly, Tsunade. Perfectly."