บท 224: Chapter 217: This is what they call alone time right...? 2
"Jesus Sarah! A person pops out of nowhere and your first instinct is to cut him in two?" Drake asked incredulously.
"Of course. It may be a threat to the tribe and there have been several times when things appearing out of nowhere have tried to kill me," she said deadpan, still pushing down with her ax.
"F-fair…" Drake admitted, "But this time is different, no killing Theo, he's fragile! And how in the world did you get here this fast? Did you come alone? Where is-"
"I'm right here!" Harley shouted from a little further back, as she moved with a sluggish gait, waving her hand in the air.
Alongside her was Natto who looked up at her with concern, holding her other hand and trying her best to support her, but what Drake's eyes were drawn to was Harley's slightly protruding belly.
"Did she get fatter…?" Drake asked absentmindedly, before an arrow whizzed past his face sticking into the ground behind him, putting Sah Ul' back into a defensive stance.
"Don't you even think it! I'm pregnant Mr. Wallen!" Harley growled her bow in her hand suddenly.
"M-my bad…" Drake mumbled warily.
"Apologies for her mood my Lord, it has been a long journey to reunite with you!" Theodore said enthusiastically.
"Don't apologize for me!" Harley yelled, slowly making her way to them with Natto's help.
"She seems pretty far along Theo, did this happen when we were in the tutorial?" Drake asked, leaning in to whisper to him.
"Yes, my Lord, it is only natural to have children who will further work under the service of the great Tyrant Asuran!" Theodore grinned proudly.
"Let's leave that for later, okay Theo? I'm just happy to see you. You're the first one to make it here ya know," Drake said, giving him a smile.
"It is but a matter of course and fate! Of course this one was the first, as this one is the knight of my Lord! We wouldeth hath a progressed at breakneck haste, alas we could not avert our eyes to the poor souls we happened past."
Drake raised a brow, "You picked up some people?"
"Several people," Harley clarified, "Also I smell candy. Do you have candy? You have candy right Mr. Wallen?" she said expectantly sniffing the air.
Drake raised his brows, mouthing slowly 'how did she know?'
"How in the world? It's in my inventory, is that even possible…?" Drake asked confused.
He pulled out a small bag of cookies as well as a still-sealed bag of hard candy handing it to Harley with a wry grin.
"You had more!" Natto shouted, "I certainly should have known you were holding out!"
"If I gave you everything you would have eaten it all in one day… Little garbage disposal," Drake scoffed.
"My Lord," Theodore asked interrupting, "This one has seen the diverse races that walk your streets, but may this one so humbly ask who this person might be?"
Drake's brows rose in realization.
Shit. How am I going to explain this… He thought.
"I am the daughter of the chief of the great Rahk Tribe and the bonded pair to the Patriarch," Sah Ul' stated flatly, "Who are you Theo, friend of the Patriarch? Is this woman your mate?"
Harley's eyes widened in understanding first as Theodore's wandered from Sah Ul' to Drake in confusion.
"Bonded pair my Lord?" he asked.
"Ahh ahh ahhh!" Drake stammered quickly covering Sah Ul's mouth with his hand, her face scowling into a deep frown, "She is…"
"You have a wife now Mr. Wallen?" Harley asked, looking at him with disapproving slitted eyes, "Or are you simply cheating on Claire?"
"Fucking… It's complicated!" Drake shouted before deflating into a sigh, "I haven't done a damn thing! Ok? I needed the tribe to submit for a quest, then the previous chief just announced!" he began to explain trying to defend himself.
"Only a guilty man immediately goes to explaining themselves in that way," Harley said eyeing him with a despondent expression, "After fighting against being with Claire for so long, the moment you are away, this happens."
Natto began to snicker watching the back and forth.
Drake gave her a baleful glance, that she only scoffed at and returned with a sneer.
"Like I said. Nothing has happened…" Drake said a little guiltily.
"Who is this Claire you speak of..?" Sah Ul' finally asked from behind Drake, the sound of her hand gripping around her ax a little tighter tickling his ears.
"She's my girlfriend," Drake admitted, "It's the reason I didn't want to go along with what the chief had wanted in the first place," he sighed.
Despite having seemed to be at odds with Taliya, Sah Ul's face didn't turn into a deeper scowl. But Drake soon found out it was not because she was necessarily fine with it, rather, she didn't understand the verbiage.
"Girlfriend? Such as Charlotte, or the mad Doctor?" she asked.
"N-no… Well, yes, but no…" Drake said, scratching the side of his head before sighing more deeply.
I have to tell her upfront. I don't want this to get any more convoluted than it already has and I promised myself I wouldn't ever turn into the type of guy who kept women on the hook unknowingly.
"Look, we're going out to map the area. Let's have a real talk about all of this when we do. Just you and me alright Sah Ul'?" Drake said in an even tone, using her real name instead of the nickname he had come up with, showing just how serious he was about the matter.
Sah Ul' looked at him for a moment, seemingly trying to decipher what he was having so much trouble saying, but nodded.
"Now that the guilty party has acknowledged that they have done wrong," Harley said peeking around Drake to stare at Sah Ul', "I think she should come with me… For a little…." she said with a smirk tugging at the ends of her lips.
"Why…?" Drake asked suspiciously.
Theodore gave a sigh, "My eternal love's bad habit is showing again. Even if she is with child and can barely move, she will still find a way when she finds someone to dress up…" he explained his eyes going distant, as if remembering something he wish he could forget.
"Oh? She never did that before in the tutorial," Drake wondered.
"Harley simply didn't have her tools or the clothes she has accumulated over several lifetimes…. My Lord recalls what she does as a living, yes?" Theodore prodded.
"No….? Oh, she's a cosplayer?"
"Precisely," Theodore nodded, giving a small clap of congratulations, "She has even taken up sewing as her second profession in lieu of possibly needing other professions for her class…"
"What!" Harley shouted, raising her voice more than Drake had ever heard her doing before, "I live for this Theo, you know that! And don't you want our children to look amazing and stylish!"
Drake recoiled backward slightly from the passion in her voice. Then could have sworn he heard someone screaming in the distance agreeing with her, but he couldn't find the source after scanning the area.
"What does that have to do with Sarah?" he asked, moving on from the distant voice he couldn't find.
Harley's eyes bulged as she bloated with anger, her hands moving past Drake and pulling Sah Ul' toward her. Sah Ul's eyes going wide in surprise.
"What does it have to do with her?" Harley growled, then pulled away at her fur coat covering her, "Just look at this body! Mr. Wallen! Look at her fine jawline! The way her tooth just barely pokes out from her bottom lip to part them seductively! As if inviting one in for a brief intimate touch of their own! The way her ample endowment simply pulls at your very consciousness! The smooth curves of her muscle-bound yet supple body… She was born for this! To be a cosplayer!" Harley finished, breathing heavily as she thrusted her fist into the air satisfied with her description.
"Why are you starting to talk like Theo…. And weren't you just getting done reprimanding me for possibly having an affair with her? Kinda defeats the purpose of your scolding doesn't it?" Drake said looking at the huffing Harley with exhaustion.
"This is this, that is that!" she shouted.
Drake looked at Theodore for help, but he simply shook his head.
"When she gets like this, this one is afraid there is no stopping her. My love may even have a stronger resolve than my Lord in such circumstances…." Theodore said, slightly shivering, his mustache bobbing somehow in fear on his upper lip.
"Point taken…" Drake said warily, "Fine have her at the north gate in 2 hours. I'm going to double-check on the skill stones I'll need to get for the kids. Natto, you're with me, I have a bunch of questions and I need your help with setting up the kids' classes and skill trees."
"Ask away, I am only the single most impactful administrator within your town of Reunite at the moment…." she grumbled.
"You are my only assistant, so assist. Or no sweets for a month."
"I am at your service," Natto amended sagely.
Drake turned back to Theodore and Harley, "Theo, do you have a moment to walk with us as well? I have a favor to ask and about the other people you brought, can you send them to the Doctor? Have Sarah's father Rvul guide them for the moment and get them settled. He's a pretty big Orc so you can't miss him. Incredibly buff, crazy tall, but sweet like honey, and will think of you as his own kid, so you should have no problem getting to know him also."
Harley nodded and pulled Sah Ul' along with her without another word. Sah Ul' looked like she wanted to protest but was caught up in the pregnant woman's pace as she had a frustrated expression across her face. Sah Ul' looking at Harley's belly and then back to Drake. She then resigned herself to Harley, helping her walk along in the other direction, draping her fur coat that Harley had taken off of her over Harley's shoulders.
"My Lord, she seems like a fine addition," Theodore stated.
"Addition…? I'm not…" Drake sighed.
"Certainly my Lord expected to have concubines and multiple wives yes? It is only natural for someone as powerful as thouself!" Theodore said proudly looking towards the cloudy sky, the sun poking out through cracks in the gray blanket.
"This one would only ask that you give thine own children the honor of serving the many children my Lord sires!" he added, bowing his head slightly.
Natto patted Theodore's slightly bent head and laughed, "Please dear Theo, Drake will have more children than even he can expect! You will have to be very busy yourself if you wish to keep up."
Drake gave Natto a side eye, "Says who? I never said I was going to become some magic playboy all of the sudden just because I'm strong."
Natto simply whistled nervously, turning her head away from his piercing baleful gaze.
Sighing and moving toward the auction once more for the day, Drake was stopped by the familiar voice he thought he would not hear for some time.
Ah…. When they said they picked up people I was really hoping it wouldn't be people that are going to cause more trouble… He thought letting out a deep sigh for the umpteenth time today.
"Running off already Drake? But we just got here," the voice said slightly amused and playful.
"Julia… and Megan… How wonderful to see you again. Catch a ride with Theo and Harley huh?" Drake grimaced turning to the voice.
Julia stood there with a playful smile her glasses accentuating her face and blue eyes, her shoulder-cut blond hair moving slightly in the cold breeze. She wore new priest-like armor Drake had not seen before under a thick fur coat.
Megan wore a similar getup, but her armor leaned more towards magnanimous church-like clothing with a small hat. Her much longer blond hair flowed off her coat past her waist. Her head was slightly downturned as her brown eyes flittered from Drake and the ground.
"Don't sound so excited to see us," Julia played, "And look at you! A big shot now, head of a town and everything! Congrats on bringing down a cardinal beast too!"
"Thanks," Drake said with a smirk, giving over to the feeling of seeing people from his party again, instead of the headache he knew was coming.
Julia moved over to him first, giving him a slight nudge with her elbow, "And you're bonded to the striking orc lady, huh? Good going," she whistled.
Drake rose a brow, "You're not mad?" he asked.
"Me? Why would I?"
"I thought you had a thing for me, you always kept badgering me in the tutorial even when Claire was around."
Julia gave a dismissal wave with her hand, "Oh that. Yeah, I did for a little bit but after you and Claire got closer, and the tutorial closed without us doing anything I gave up. I know a losing fight when I see it, but then again…" she trailed off a glint in her eye, "From what I hear you're taking concubines and I wouldn't mind giving up a bit of skin for a cushy life in this place," she winked.
Drake recoiled then frowned, "You heard that huh? I'm not in the business of doing that kind of stuff. It's not something I want to make a habit of. But you and Megan are welcome to stay here, Natto I'm sure can find a number of things for healers and buffers to do. And of course, you'll be compensated," he began saying then saw Julia's eyebrows wiggle at the word and corrected himself with a grumble, "Compensated, monetarily."
"You're no fun," Julia snickered.
"And I don't remember you acting like a teen schoolgirl."
"Got to have some fun in crazy times like this," she smiled, "Don't know when you're going to punch your ticket after all…"
Drake gave a solemn expression, unable to refute her last point but quickly recovered.
"Well, if you heard our conversation, then you know I've got things to do. Get yourselves comfortable and I'll have you two help me with some things once I get back."
"I-i want to help too!" Megan cut in finally speaking up.
"No," Drake said flatly.
"But I can help," she scowled, "I'm stronger just like everyone else. We've all helped and pulled our weight on the way here!"
"I said no. You can help by staying here and helping with the people that we've rescued. God only knows how many are still recovering from injuries and displacement from the system and I have more pressing matters than to entertain your fantasies and desperate inferiority complex," Drake frowned, "I know you are useful, but don't come here and begin demanding I do anything like in the tutorial. There are too many things happening and too many people needing help."
Megan stammered trying to rebute his harsh words but couldn't. It was obvious that Drake knew why she wanted to come here and help him, even if she wouldn't admit it herself.
Julia frowned, rubbing the back of her friend, "Little harsh there Drake…" she sighed, "But we get it. We'll go see that Doctor you were talking about."
Drake kept his slight frown, "Good, just don't let her experiment on you. Tell her if she hurts either of you or overworks you, she will answer to me."
"There's the softie I know and love," Julia grinned.
"Just get going…" Drake sighed, walking away.
"My Lord, that was quite the thrashing. This one does not believe Megan deserved such reprimanding…" Theodore whispered next to him.
"She already knows I don't want anything to do with her after everything. She has an amazing class but she has to move on just like Julia, and Chelsea. I don't have the time or mental energy to entertain every girl who bats her eyes at me."
"This one understands, but thou should know she hast become quite proficient in her class. Through her help our party has increased in power beyond our expectations on our journey hither," Theodore explained, keeping pace with Drake.
"While that might be true," Drake said, finally inspecting Theo for the first time since reuniting with him and the others.
[Theodore Rotwood Level 20]
"You've hit level 20?!" Drake exclaimed in surprise, "That's crazy Theo!"
Theodore bowed slightly, "Thank you, my Lord. Yes, This one has finally taken another step towards thine Lord's greatness. My love has gone even further past thineself. It is hardly the tantamount experience as my Lord's, but we shall strive to lessen the gap of course."
Drake gave a grin, "Theo, you don't have to do all that. I'm just happy you're both here and well. And with a kid on the way, I don't want you doing anything dangerous for a while you hear me? And I have the perfect job for you!" Drake grinned wider.
Theodore titled his head in interest, "What might that be?"
"How would you like to be the Head Master of my new Magic Academy?" Drake chuckled.
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