He woke up to the smell of jasmine and something burning.
Not the good kind of burning. The "someone's about to commit arson" kind.
His eyes snapped open to meet a silk canopy above him. Red and gold embroidery, dragons coiling across expensive fabric that probably cost more than his entire past life's rent for a year. Definitely not his crappy apartment ceiling with the water stain shaped like a duck.
Where the hell—
[System Initialization Complete.]
The words hung in his vision. A glowing holographic blue text that seemed impossible.
He blinked. They didn't go away.
[Welcome, Host. You have been bound to the Dragon King Legacy System.]
[Current Rank: Unawakened]
[Bound Wives: 5/5]
[Survival Probability: 23%]
Wait, what—
[Good luck.]
"Oh, you're awake."
He suddenly bolted upright which turned out to be a very terrible idea because the moment he did that, five pairs of eyes locked onto him immediately.
Five women. Sitting around his bed like they'd been waiting for hours, well maybe they had been. Their expressions ranged from adoring to murderous, and several managed both at once which seemed like it should've been impossible but here they were, proving him wrong.
The one closest to him smiled. Black hair cascading over pale shoulders, crimson eyes that gleamed in the morning light, red lips curving in a way that should've been reassuring but absolutely wasn't. She wore a silk robe that looked more expensive than a car, embroidered with golden phoenixes.
"Husband," she purred, reaching out to brush his cheek with fingers that were surprisingly cold. "You're finally awake. We were getting worried."
Husband.
Husband?
"I—uh—" His voice cracked. Great start. Very dignified. Exactly how a legendary Dragon King should sound.
Another woman leaned forward from the foot of the bed. Silver hair pulled into an immaculate braid, cold blue eyes that could've frozen a lake solid, and an expression that suggested she'd already mentally catalogued every flaw in his existence. She wore a fitted dress the color of fresh snow, and somehow radiated disappointment.
"Three hours and forty-two minutes," she said. Each word precisely measured. "You made us wait three hours and forty-two minutes beyond your normal waking time."
She didn't sound angry. Worse. She sounded disappointed.
"I was sleeping," he said, which was possibly the dumbest defense he'd ever mounted. "People do that. It's a normal thing."
"We noticed," said a third voice, honeyed and sweet in a way that made his survival instincts scream. The blonde to his right tilted her head, green eyes sparkling with something that definitely wasn't innocence. Gold jewelry adorned her neck and wrists, and her dress was cut in a way that probably violated several decency laws. "You talk in your sleep, you know. It's quite adorable."
That didn't sound adorable. That sounded like a threat.
"You said someone named 'Akari' twice," she continued,her smile never wavering. "And something about 'just five more minutes.' Very sweet."
Oh no.
The silver-haired woman's eyes narrowed. "Who," she asked, each word precise as a blade, "is Akari?"
"Nobody! I don't—I don't even know an Akari!" It was probably true. His past-life memories were fuzzy at best—dying tended to do that—but he was pretty sure he'd never had anyone in his life worth remembering. Just debt, disappointment, and a lot of instant ramen.
The black-haired woman's smile widened, showing teeth that seemed slightly too sharp. "Good answer, darling."
The blonde's smile didn't falter, but her gaze said otherwise. "We'll table that discussion for later, then. Along with several other topics."
She produced a small notebook from literally nowhere and made a note.
She had a list.
A list of problems she wanted solved.
Great. Just great.
[Quest Generated: Survive Your First Breakfast]
[Reward: +10 EXP, Basic Dragon Aura (Passive), Affection +5 with all wives]
[Failure: Death (Probably), Affection -20 with all wives, System Reboot]
A translucent screen hovered at the edge of his vision, visible only to him apparently since none of the women reacted. Quests. EXP. Stats. He'd read enough web novels in his past life to recognize the setup.
He was in a system story.
He was the protagonist.
And apparently, he was married.To five supernatural beings who looked ready to either kiss him or kill everyone he'd ever known. Possibly both.
"So," he said carefully, "remind me again how we—"
"Breakfast," announced a fourth woman, rising from a chair in the corner like a judge passing sentence. She was tall and elegant with raven-black wings folded against her back—wings, actual wings. Her dress was black silk, formal, militaristic. "Is ready. Husband, you will join us."
That was not a question. Definitely not a question.
"Right, but—"
"Now."
The fifth woman hadn't spoken yet. She sat furthest from the bed, knees drawn up, dark eyes watching him with an intensity that made his skin prickle. Pink hair, actually pink, like anime-character pink—fell in messy waves around a face that looked almost innocent. Almost. When their gazes met, she flinched.
Then smiled.
Slowly.
It was the kind of smile that belonged in a horror movie, right before someone found the bodies.
"Um." He cleared his throat trying to sound confident but failed spectacularly. "Right. Breakfast. That's—that's a normal thing people do. Together. As a family. That we apparently are."
"Indeed," said the winged woman. Her name floated into his mind suddenly—Valeria. How did he know that? System? Residual memories? "We've prepared your favorites. Exactly as you like them."
He had no idea what his favorites were. This body's favorites? The original owner's preferences? Did it matter?
[New Objective: Do Not Offend Any Wife During Breakfast]
[Sub-Objective: Identify each wife's personality type before making critical errors]
[Failure Penalty: Affection Loss, Possible Assassination Attempt, Lengthy Guilt-Trip]
Fantastic. The system was helpful like a fortune cookie written by a sadist.
He swung his legs out of bed, trying not to notice that he was wearing silk pajamas he definitely hadn't put on himself. The room was massive—marble floors, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking mountains he didn't recognize, furniture that probably cost more than his entire past life's net worth. Paintings of dragons adorned the walls. Actual gold fixtures on the furniture.
This wasn't just wealth. This was "own a small country" money.
The black-haired woman, Seraphine, which his mind helped in figuring out offered her hand. "Let me help you, husband."
The silver-haired one—Celeste, moved to his other side. "I insist."
The blonde lady, Liora—appeared directly in front of him, blocking his path with a smile that could sell ice to penguins. "Surely I should escort him. I am, after all, his first wife."
The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.
Several degrees of ice literally formed on the windows.
"First wife," repeated Celeste, ice crystallizing in her tone and also literally in the air around her, "is a matter of debate."
"The binding contract clearly states—"
"The contract was signed under duress—"
"Are you suggesting our husband didn't want to marry me?" Liora's voice stayed sweet but the jewelry around her wrists started glowing. Faintly and menacingly.
Oh god. Oh no. They had powers. Of course they had powers.
[Warning: Wife Conflict Escalating]
[Danger Level: Moderate]
[Recommended Action: Diplomatic Intervention]
He raised both hands, standing up quickly. "Ladies. Please. I'm sure you're all—" equally terrifying"—equally important to me."
Upon saying that the room suddenly went silent.
His five wives immediately turned to him.
The pink-haired girl—Yuki, tilted her head like a curious bird. A curious bird that might have bodies in the basement.
"Equally?" Liora's voice could've killed a bird. "You view us as equals?"
Oh crap. Wrong approach."I mean—" Think, idiot, think. His past life hadn't exactly prepared him for this. The closest he'd gotten to managing relationships was remembering to text his landlord before rent was due. "Each of you is irreplaceable. In your own unique way. I couldn't possibly rank you because you're all—"
What. Say something. Anything.
"—essential parts of my life. Like..." He was grasping at straws. "Like the elements. You can't say fire is more important than water or earth or air. They all work together to make the world function."
[Diplomatic Check: PASSED]
[+5 Relationship Points with all wives]
[Achievement Unlocked: "Smooth Talker" - Survive your first wife conflict]
[Bonus Reward: +3 Charisma]
The tension eased slightly. While the ice melted. Literally and figuratively.
Valeria's wings rustled, almost a laugh. "Well said, husband."
"Adequate," Celeste amended, but the frost in her voice had thawed a few degrees.
Seraphine took his arm, fingers curling possessively around his bicep. "Come. Before the food gets cold. I'd hate to have to punish the servants for timing issues."
He let himself be led—escorted, really, he wasn't stupid enough to think he had a choice—through corridors that belonged in a palace. Because it probably was a palace. Vaulted ceilings, more dragon motifs, tapestries showing battles between dragons and... other things. Demons? He couldn't tell.
Servants bowed as they passed. Actual servants. In actual uniforms. Their eyes tracked him with expressions ranging from respect to pity.
The pity worried him more.
"So," he ventured as they walked, his five wives flanking him like a very attractive, very dangerous honor guard, "what's on the agenda today? Besides breakfast. Any... Dragon King duties I should know about?"
Valeria's expression remained neutral. "Your awakening ceremony is in three days."
"My what now?"
"The ceremony where you officially inherit your full Dragon King powers," Celeste explained with the tone of someone explaining something to a child. "Did you hit your head?"
"Maybe? I'm a little foggy on details."
"How convenient," Liora murmured.
Yuki appeared at his other side, having moved silently without him noticing. "It's okay if you don't remember everything," she whispered. "I'll help you remember. I remember everything about you. Everything."
That was not comforting. That was the opposite of comforting.
[Warning: Yuki's Affection Meter is Unstable]
[Recommended Action: Monitor carefully]
Yeah. Thanks, system. Super helpful.
The dining hall was obscene. A table long enough to seat thirty people, laden with dishes he'd only seen in cooking shows—no, wait, dishes he'd only seen in fantasy cooking shows. Was that golden fruit? Meat that shimmered with magical energy? Bread that was literally steaming despite having been sitting out for who knows how long?
His five wives took seats on either side of him, close enough that he could feel their body heat. Close enough that their perfumes, five different scents, all expensive, all overwhelming when combined, made his head spin.
Close enough that escape was impossible.
Servants appeared from side doors, pouring drinks that changed color in the glass. One of them met his eyes briefly, gave the tiniest shake of their head.
A warning.
Great.
Yuki finally spoke at a normal volume. "Eat, husband." Her voice was soft. Gentle, even. "We made sure everything was perfect for you. I personally checked every dish. Three times. And watched the chefs prepare everything. To make sure."
She'd... watched the chefs. To make sure.
He looked down at his plate. Everything looked delicious. Everything also looked like a test he didn't know the parameters for.
[Quest Update: Survive Your First Breakfast - 0/1 Meals Completed]
[Hidden Objective: Deduce which wife prepared which dish - 0/5 Identified]
Oh come on.
He picked up his fork, studying the spread. There was definitely a politics to this. Each dish probably represented one of his wives. If he ate one person's food first, would the others take offense? If he tried everything equally, would they think he was being fake?
Screw it. When in doubt, commit.
He took a bite of the golden fruit first. Tasted like... heaven, actually. Sweet, tangy, with an aftertaste that made his whole body feel warm.
[+1 Vitality]
Wait, the food gave stats?
Liora smiled, satisfied. Her dish, apparently.
Next, he tried the shimmering meat. Savory, rich, perfectly cooked. His past-life self, who'd lived on convenience store food, wanted to cry.
[+1 Strength]
Seraphine's smile widened.
The bread came next—it practically melted in his mouth.
[+1 Intelligence]
Celeste nodded approvingly.
A soup that sparkled with what might have been actual stars.
[+1 Agility]
Valeria's wings rustled, pleased.
Finally, a dessert that looked almost too pretty to eat. He ate it anyway.
[+1 Spirit]
Yuki clapped her hands together, delighted.
[Hidden Objective Complete! +10 EXP]
[All wives' affection increased!]
Okay. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he could actually—
The doors to the dining hall suddenly burst open.
A man strode in, radiating arrogance and expensive cologne. Tall, handsome in an angular way, wearing robes that screamed "important person." His eyes locked onto the table, onto the wives, onto him.
"Lerwin," the man said, voice dripping with contempt. "You will die today!."