After walking away from the castle, Sakyo made his way to the arcane crafter's shop to pick up Garm and Kaya. When he walks inside, he finds Garm testing out his new leg with enthusiasm he can't hope to match right now. He brings them both back to the misty city without a word.
They all return to Raynemor, and Sakyo immediately makes his way to the library. Inside, he walks up to Ren sitting in her usual spot with Naja at her side, dutifully taking notes on the book she's reading.
[Ren] Hm? Oh, welcome back. Did Mr. Garm get his new leg?
Without a word, Sakyo collapses into her thighs face first with a heavy sigh. She stiffenes, a pink hue rising to her cheeks as she doesn't know what to do with her hands.
[Ren] Wha-?! Sakyo! Right here? In the library?
Naja shoots her head up, eyes wide. Her tail gives an involuntary twitch as her full attention is grabbed. For a moment, she just stared, lips parting in shock. Then her brow furrowed, her voice carrying the faintest edge.
[Naja] Mmm... Boss, my thighs are available too...
[Sakyo] Ren's are softer...
Before Naja could argue back, Sakyo's hand blindly reaches out. He catches hold of her tail, absentmindedly stroking it while gently pulling her closer.
[Sakyo] ...but you've got the fluffy tail I love.
Naja froze, ears twitching. Her jealousy melted into something else entirely, her posture going rigid as a faint shiver runs up from her tail to her spine. She quickly turns her face away, hiding the blush threatening to bloom.
[Naja] I... I suppose I can accept that.
That was the exact moment the doors opened again. Garm and Kaya step in, having followed Sakyo, and are greeted with the sight of him lying face first in Ren's lap while stroking Naja's tail.
[Garm] Master, I know I advised you to show more affection, but I thought you expressed a desire to keep it from going this far too soon.
[Kaya] You could've at least locked the door too.
Ren flails her hands, trying to fix the misunderstanding.
[Ren] This isn't what it looks like!
[Naja] Right, it is not...
Naja agreed, though her voice was flat. Still, the faint flicker of disappointment on her face betrayed her words.
[Kaya] Then what exactly is this?
Sakyo groaned louder, lifting his head just enough to glare at them with the exhaustion of a man burdened by fate.
[Sakyo] ...I'm dying.
[Everyone] What!?!?
[Sakyo] My punishment for not reporting the wyvern thing. It's the worst fate imaginable.
[Garm] Were you given a death sentence?!
[Sakyo] No.
[Kaya] Charged with treason?
[Sakyo] I wish.
With an audible gulp, both Ren and Naja look at each other, fearing their own guess.
[Ren/Naja] ...Castration?
[Sakyo] Worse.
[Kaya] Alright, this is getting ridiculous. Just tell us already.
[Sakyo] I...
They all wait for his answer, the anticipation eating away at their curiosity with every second that passes.
[Sakyo] ...I have to go to school.
[Everyone] ...Huh?
[Kaya] That's it?! That's what you call a punishment?!
[Sakyo] My uncle made me an instructor at the Royal Magic Academy. I'll have to teach a class starting next month.
[Naja] ...Boss, that is not worse than castration.
[Sakyo] It is to me.
[Naja] Why? You will be surrounded by an endless supply of books. It seems like quite a sugary deal to me.
[Ren] Not to mention you'd be making money for doing your normal research.
[Garm] And you will be able to inspire the next generation to follow your example.
[Sakyo] Don't try to ease my pain with sound logic. It's not that simple. Everyone there is gonna be stuck up noble kids. Plus they'll all be older than me.
[Kaya] That's still no reason to treat it like the end of the world.
With a final groan, Sakyo pushes himself upright, letting go of Naja's tail as he stands up.
Her ears twitched at the loss, and she silently shifted her notes in front of her to hide the subtle slump of her shoulders.
[Sakyo] I don't want to deal with a bunch of noble kids who think being born lucky entitles them to do whatever they want. I'm gonna go train for a bit. Maybe that'll help me get my mind off this mess.
He trudges out of the library, leaving an odd silence in his wake.
Ren leaned back into her seat and let out a sigh.
[Ren] Sometimes I forget he's even younger than me. Although, that change in his personality just makes him so much cuter.
Her eyes drift towards Naja, catching the way her gaze still lingers on the doors. Her tail flickers restlessly, her expression caught between a pout and resignation.
[Ren] You look disappointed.
[Naja] Wha- No- I-...
[Ren] I know you, Naja. You were hoping he was trying something with us.
[Naja] I-is my expression that obvious?
[Kaya] Only to everyone.
[Garm] For an assassin, you are not good at hiding your emotions. Especially when it comes to Master.
[Ren] To be honest, I was hoping for something too.
[Naja] It is just... in my pack, it is not unusual for women to begin mating by now. Boss has yet to try mating with either of us even once, even when I offered myself to him...
[Garm] Perhaps you were not direct enough. Have you tried doing it after hunting together?
[Kaya] Garm, please don't make those suggestions to your sister. She's already impressionable enough as is.
[Ren] But she's right, aside from kissing and pinning us down, he hasn't tried anything else.
[Kaya] Pinning you down? Doesn't that mean he wants to-
Before she can finish her thought, Ren stiffens, panic rushing across her face.
[Ren] Maybe he doesn't find us attractive!
Naja's ears and tail shoot up, her own panic mirroring Ren's.
[Naja] No! That cannot be true!
[Kaya] That's not what I-
Kaya's words of reassurance fall on deaf ears as their panic spirals out of control. Before she can try again, Ren turns to her with the most serious expression she'd ever seen.
[Ren] What about you? How do you keep your relationship strong without sleeping with each other?
The question hit like a thunderclap. Garm immediately turned away, not wanting to answer her question. Kaya, on the other hand, doesn't even blink.
[Kaya] We've already done all that stuff.
Everyone freezes, all gazes whipped towards Garm's now flushed face. Their eyes say it all. Neither of them can even imagine that Garm could do those things, let alone already had.
[Kaya] What? He's been working without a shirt so much around here, and when he lost his wooden leg, he just looked so defenseless. I had to.
[Garm] Please do not explain the details to them.
[Ren] This is worse than we thought.
[Naja] If even brother has already...
[Garm] What do you mean "even me"?
[Naja] ...then what does that mean about us?!
Finally having enough of this, Kaya raises her voice to everyone.
[Kaya] Enough! Don't you think you're both overthinking this? It's pretty clear Sakyo finds you both attractive in your own ways.
[Ren/Naja] Really?
They finally calm down a bit, a glimpse of nervous hope showing in their eyes.
[Kaya] He loves your warmth, Ren. He probably doesn't even realize how much he talks about wanting you by his side. Not to mention that he's clearly interested in your body.
[Ren] Really? He said all that?
Her flustered expression calms down as a warm blush takes its place. She holds her hand above her chest, feeling her heartbeat as she's reminded of how much she loves Sakyo.
[Kaya] Yeah, it's actually a little annoying with how much he brings it up.
[Naja] What about me? Does Boss say anything about me?
[Kaya] Yeah, he relies on you more than you know. Your combat skills, intelligence, and your tail. He loves all those parts of you, especially the fluff.
[Naja] I-I see.
She grabs her own wagging tail, wrapping her arms around to feel the fluff Sakyo seems to love so much.
[Kaya] So neither of you have to worry. You two should be less worried about whether Sakyo finds you attractive and more worried about all the wives he'll bring home in the future.
The words sank in instantly. The moment they left her mouth, her hands twitched as if she wanted to grab the words and shove them back down her throat.
[Kaya] (Crap, why did I say that?!)
Unfortunately, it was already too late. Ren froze, face paled as if she'd just been given the death penalty.
[Ren] Y-you're right, there's no way we'll be the only ones for long. Sakyo's too amazing, and he's already got three wives. I know Nymera isn't a threat, but what if another princess falls for him?! My position as first wife could be in danger!
Naja's eyes sharpened with the same seriousness she brought to battle.
[Naja] Rivals. I am only the third wife, so my chances are already reduced. I will need to plan right away. My conception should be at least before a fifth joins us, otherwise the likelihood of succession...
Ren cut her off, grabbing her shoulders tightly.
[Ren] Forget about succession! We need to secure our places before he brings more wives into the harem! We already know we can't beat him in domination, but maybe we can seduce him when his guard's down.
[Naja] Of course, Steven always fell victim to his maids seduction techniques. I have already shown him the poses of submission and apology. Do humans have a pose for conception?
Ren's expression twisted with both horror and inspiration. When she gets an idea, her eyes begin to glow with determination.
[Ren] Of course, there's one way to make sure we secure our places: an aphrodisiac.
Kaya choked hearing Ren's idea. Meanwhile, Naja looks upon her with the utmost admiration.
[Kaya] Wha-?!
[Naja] That is brilliant. I remember seeing a book with recipes for those in here.
They both darted for the shelves, already skimming for alchemical notes. After a few minutes of searching, Ren pulls out a leather-bound tomb with a triumphant grin. She brings it straight to the table, quickly flipping through the pages.
[Ren] Here it is! "Elixirs, Tonics, and Aphrodisiacs!"
Naja leaps off the shelves, leaning over her shoulder to read through the tomb.
[Naja] Let us see. "Does not create desire." "Suppresses restraint, removes hesitation." Here it is! "Ingredients list!"
[Ren] Perfect, let's go get what we need!
Ren grabs Naja, reading off the ingredients they'd need, and drags her in the air, bolting right out the doors. Kaya and Garm are both left speechless.
[Kaya] (sigh) Why did I open my big mouth? Come on, let's go.
She grabs his arm, pulling him to leave too.
[Garm] Where are we going?
[Kaya] We've still got work to do around the village. Besides, I want to see you shirtless before I take you back to our bedroom.
[Garm] Y-you have gotten quite agressive since we have become mates.
[Kaya] You let me be myself, so I won't hold back anymore.
He doesn't argue, letting her drag him out with a slight blush on his face.