บท 220: 216) +1 Member to the Fief
-A few days ago-
Gemma and I appeared in the [Fief] for the first time. Seeing her astonished expression, like that of every person who arrives here, I felt a mix of pride and satisfaction. I held her hand and carefully wrapped my arm around her waist to help her gently descend from the hill where we had appeared.
"I... I'm not that pregnant yet," she said, blushing from the attention I was giving her.
"I know, but I can't help it. Let me get used to it," I replied, aware of my precautions but also nervous at the thought of our child. "Don't complain later when I fuck you like a whore in the last months of your pregnancy," I joked, trying to lighten the mood... but considering it.
Gemma blushed even more at the thought, but I could also see warmth in her eyes. She appreciated my care, and while she admired the village, she seemed to enjoy more the simple fact of having me by her side, transmitting my warmth and love.
As we walked through the village, Gemma suddenly stopped, a mix of surprise and disbelief on her face.
"The Grey Lady?" she exclaimed, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"Hmm?" Helena, who was floating and almost seemed petrified in that spot, opened her eyes and looked at us. "Oh, Red, are you bringing someone new?"
Helena was floating in a small building she had constructed, a cemetery. It was a plot of just five meters by five, surrounded by a small wall with metal spikes twisted like spears. There were a few graves, not many, but enough for the available space. Like other buildings in the Fief, it had its peculiarities, and this one had a special function: in addition to being a resting place for the dead, some of the graves could eventually generate fresh corpses or skeletons, useful in various ways, such as for what is currently being used. Helena was there to absorb the negative energy emanating from the corpses, enhanced and accumulated by the glyphs and the ritual circle carved for that purpose.
"Hello, Helena. This is Gemma," I said, pointing her out. "But let's go to the central square so I can explain everything at once to everyone."
Helena nodded and began to float behind us.
As we walked, Gemma looked at me with a mix of wonder and caution, still processing the presence of the famous ghost of Ravenclaw. "Is it really the Grey Lady... Rowena's daughter?" she asked, filled with doubts. "Why is she here?"
"Why do you think she's here?" I replied with a smile, raising an eyebrow.
Gemma swallowed hard, immediately understanding. She knew she wouldn't be the only one in my life, but she hadn't expected that even ghosts wouldn't be spared from me. However, remembering the child she carried in her womb, a feeling of calm enveloped her. Perhaps she wouldn't have me all to herself, but at least she would always have me close, and being here in this special place was proof of the trust I had in her and that I truly accepted her.
We arrived at the central square of the Fief, where a fountain occupied the center, and the others were already waiting for us after I had sent a [message]. Andra, Eileen, Lily, Elise, and now the Ravenclaw who had followed us were curiously waiting to see the reason for the gathering.
"Hello everyone, I want to introduce you to someone. This is Gemma, the new member of our family."
"Hello, Gemma," Lily greeted, smiling but nervous.
"Welcome," Andra added with a friendly nod.
"..." Eileen simply nodded in silence.
*Unicorn sounds*
Everyone greeted her kindly from a respectful distance, noticing that I was treating her with particular care, and the more perceptive ones sensed that something more was hidden in my introduction.
"Oh, and by the way, she's pregnant with my child," I commented casually, watching their reactions.
"What?!" Lily exclaimed.
The adults showed surprise, though less pronounced than Lily's, who hurried closer with a mix of disbelief and excitement, looking at Gemma and throwing questions at her in a questionable tone.
"Pregnant with your child?!" she asked, staring at Gemma's belly with tear-filled eyes.
"Calm down, don't get jealous," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm not jealous!" she protested, though her eyes continued to fill with tears.
I chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss her, knowing that if she had some envy and jealousy, although it wasn't truly hers, I had used [Envy] to make her feel that way when I touched her. My emotional skills had evolved enough to go unnoticed, allowing her to think that the feeling of jealousy was natural for her. The kiss was a good diversion to shift her attention while I reduced the influence of my magic and replaced it with [Ecstasy]. Lily could barely stand on her now-weak legs, and finally, both she and Gemma leaned on me.
"From now on, she will live here. I hope that in the future you can help and protect her if she ever needs it. Andra, I suppose you have experience with pregnancies?" (Red)
"In my profession, they weren't so unusual; many clients liked that stage, and in some cases, the spells weren't done in time," she replied frankly.
"Perfect, then you and your wife could guide her. For the delivery, we could turn to Andromeda, who is a mediwitch at St. Mungo's. With her help, everything should go smoothly, although when the time comes, if we don't tell her, it would be wise to conceal that it's my child."
I said a few more words before deciding to give Gemma a tour, accompanied by Lily, who remained affectionate even after the effect of my magic and Helena. I also sent a clone to comfort Elise, probably in a chat about not feeling bad for not being the first to give me a child or similar topics.
I led the two girls and the ghost around the village, guiding them and explaining every detail and its function in our small and beautiful world. Lily already knew the place, but she was stickier now that Petunia was not around. It wasn't that she had left; she was in a secluded area, unconscious in the middle of a ritual that would strengthen her body over the next few days.
I also noticed that Lily had mixed emotions regarding Gemma and the news of the pregnancy. Although I had convinced her of this polygamous relationship, her mind was still throwing certain internal conflicts, indicating to her that something was not right. Carefully, with a touch of [Ecstasy], I made sure to fry that part of her brain. After walking a bit, Lily got used to the kisses I shared with her and Gemma, and she even began to enjoy them enough to get excited, also thanks to my magic. That part of herself that told her this relationship was not for her was being killed, and soon she would consider it her normality, finding any other possibility strange. It was progress I enjoyed, and knowing that Gemma did not need such intervention, as she was already fully accepting of this life, made me even happier. She was making an effort to keep Lily happy and was on her way to becoming a good friend.
Helena, for her part, remained silent. She knew well what kind of monster I was, but she had already decided to be with me and didn't mind. She simply accompanied us on this walk before returning to Hogwarts to avoid suspicion. Every few days, Helena visits the fief to absorb spiritual energy in the cemetery, preparing herself for the more intense rituals that would make her more consistent in the physical world.
In reality, the ghosts in this world are not complete souls. They are fragments, a remnant of the main soul that remains when a wizard dies without being able to accept death. They represent only about 10%, a shell left behind while the rest of the soul ends up in the realm of death. My goal is to recover the rest of Helena's soul from the realm of the dead, but for that, I need to strengthen her essence first. The advantage is that, since I absorbed the power of the invisibility cloak, I am much more aware of this energy and the mysteries of death.
After a tour filled with explanations, games, and some love, in which Lily ended up walking with her legs pressed together and almost asking me to repeat what had happened in that bathroom, we parted ways. Helena left, and Lily had to meet up with Eileen to continue learning magic, something that would soon also be Gemma's responsibility to teach her. Meanwhile, Gemma would go to talk to Andra to organize her accommodation.
As for me, I had important things to attend to, including the purchase of a new item for the fief, which had a really high value: 10,000 galleons. Although it seemed like an outrageous price for a simple notice board, I decided to acquire it because it was categorized as a special item. I headed to the square and bought it, and at that instant, it appeared right there. But when I saw its functions, the surprise was enormous.
[Mission Board]
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Daily Mission:
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[Collect (0/15) luminescent mushrooms in the "Mysterious Cave."]
Reward: 25 galleons, x1 luminescent mushroom.
Duration: 12 hours.
[Defeat (0/1) enraged bull in the "Farmers' Prairie."]
Reward: 30 galleons, x1 hide of enraged bull, x2 horns of enraged bull.
Duration: 2 days.
[Meditate in the Thunder Tower for (0/4) hours.]
Reward: x1 lightning essence per hour.
Duration: 4 hours.
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Monthly Mission:
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[Troy War]
Duration: 2 years.
Objectives:
>Choose a side (optional)
>Survive until the end of the war
>Defeat the Greeks and/or the Trojans(optional)
>Bring down the walls of Troy or use the Trojan Horse(optional)
General Reward:
>5,000-25,000 galleons (based on performance and treasures found)
>200-1,000 crystal coins (based on performance and treasures found)
> Magic weapons and/or armor
Additional Rewards:
>Based on performance
>Bricks from the walls of Troy (the walls can absorb them to strengthen)
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I observed the wooden board covered with parchments and the screen detailing each mission. They were missions worthy of a video game, but at the same time, much more. With the [Help] skill, I could know the details that were not immediately visible.
These missions were like side campaigns. Upon accepting them, I would be transported to a temporary world to fulfill the objectives within the specified time. Unlike the additional campaigns, I would not lose my memories or abilities upon returning, which meant that everything learned or gained in that temporary world would be retained. Additionally, any object I created with materials brought from the real world could return with me.
Other aspects made this board even more valuable. I could control the flow of time in the missions, making the time lived there last an instant here, and choose whether or not I aged in the mission and if that aging would take effect upon exiting. Furthermore, it was not exclusive to me; anyone I gave permission to could participate and, with my approval, even retain their rewards.
My mind was racing, planning all the potential of this system to the point that anyone would say smoke was coming from my ears. I was so excited that I almost spent even more galleons and crystal coins to upgrade the board to unlock more missions or improve its features.
The excitement led me to try the meditation mission immediately, and soon I realized what the true challenge was. For the activity to count as "meditation" and progress in the mission, I needed to reach a considerable level of concentration. This was much more difficult than it seemed, as the thunder resonated so intensely in that place that the entire small elevated structure on the mountain vibrated under its force.
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3rd Additional Chapter
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