After Guy left, I wanted to relax. After all that happened recently. My evolution, Guy showing up and trying to kill me, the mysterious voice talking to me when I was at death's door, and becoming the substitute mediator of the world. I had a lot to process.
But it seems it will have to wait because as soon as Guy left the castle, I was assaulted by three girls, hugging me on every side.
I sighed as my daughters cried on me, telling me how happy they were that I was alive. It seems to me that fighting Guy, someone that terrified them by his presence alone, had them worried.
It's touching how even with me having gone pretty hard on them when I told them to leave me alone, they still worried about me.
I didn't move from my chair, just letting them cry while patting them, telling them that everything was alright.
"Ma...Mama, pro...promise me yo...you won't d...do that e...ever again." I looked at Shiro. She was looking up at me, tears rolling down her face.
"Sweety, you know I can't promise you that. I like fighting strong people, and I will never say no to an opportunity to have a good meal."
She looked heartbroken and cried even more. Wendy and Sherry also cried, even if it was less than Shiro. I think they understood me. Even if they weren't happy with my choice, they still accepted it.
"But you don't have to cry so much. I am even stronger now, so I will not die so easily. So stop crying. You are making me sad now."
They still cried for a good minute before finally stopping. They were still hugging me through but I didn't dislike it. It was kind of nice, like we were a family. Well, I guess we were, but I didn't really feel like it until now.
'Wait a second. What the fuck is wrong with me? When did I start having so much emotion? It's not normal for me to feel like that.'
I activated thought acceleration at max capacity, searching for an anomaly inside me.
No matter my connection with the other succubus, what I just felt when I saw the three of them cry and worry about me was not normal.
For a normal person it was, but for me, feeling bad seeing them crying and feeling empathy was certainly a problem.
I don't say it's a bad thing, but me suddenly developing empathy so fast is certainly worrying.
If one day you woke up with your entire personality changed, even for the best, you would assume something is wrong with your head.
So I started looking for the source of these emotions, and I found it. In the part of my soul where my emotion should be, where before there was only an abyss, there now was a mass forming.
It looks like a purple egg, its surface constantly shifting like a wave in the sea. I tried to analyze it, but I couldn't. The only result I got from it was confusing. Apparently the egg was part of me, but at the same time it was not.
One thing was sure. The unnatural emotion I felt came from it. They were not mine but the result of the egg making me feel its own emotion, confusing me into thinking they were mine.
I thought of destroying it for a moment. After all, I didn't want to live with a parasite inside my soul, but I decided against it. My instincts were telling me that whatever it was, it wasn't hostile toward me. It was even beneficial, as it seemed to somewhat calm my need for emotions by filling the void with its presence. I still investigate more to see if I find more anomalies inside me.
I found another thing inside my soul, but this one was far less active. It was just hanging there waiting. My analysis told me it was called a demon lord seed and that it represents the qualifications to become a demon lord.
I tried to find the way to hatch it, but I couldn't find more information than what I already found. Guess I would have to ask Guy the next time I see him.
After thinking for around one hour, courtesy of my thoughts' acceleration, I came to the realization that the voice I heard when I was dying probably came from the egg.
So I tried to communicate with it, but it was unresponsive. Either it was playing hard to get, or it was a one-time thing when he talked to me, and I would need to have another near-death experience to talk to it.
Well now at least I know where my sudden emotion came from. I honestly might have overreacted. I was still me after all. It's not like I will start having empathy for random people.
I stopped my thoughts' acceleration, my investigation having taken me only one second in real time.
I looked at the crying girls still holding me. I still felt strange. I was new to this whole emotional stuff. It kind of sucked to feel bad because someone was sad, to want to comfort them. It's them that are sad, not me. Why the hell should I also feel bad?
But a small part of me kind of likes it, to care about people not because they are useful or because their emotion tastes good, but because you like them.
I took some time reassuring my daughters, listening to their worries. Finally, after half an hour, they stopped crying and let me go.
I stood up and then talked to them about what we will do from now on.
"These past few days were fun. We got to taste good emotion, explore the world, and, for me, fight interesting people. But I think it's time for us to settle down, to take things more slowly."
The four of them nodded their heads, agreeing with me on that point.
"It's for that reason that we will make this kingdom and the two other kingdoms that fought in the war our territory. From now on this place will be our home."
They all clapped at my declaration, happy to have a place to call home.
"But Lady Lilith, wouldn't that be a problem if suddenly a nation of demi-humans were to be born in the middle of human territory? Wouldn't that go against your promise with Lord Guy to not cause conflicts with humans?"
Elysia made a good point, but I already thought of what to do. Originally I wanted to look for an unoccupied territory and take it for myself.
But that would have caused war with the other nation, who wouldn't take kindly to having a nation of what they consider monsters at their border.
Of course I will have been all for it before, but now I need to avoid conflicts.
"Don't worry about it. I won't openly govern the country. We will put in place a puppet king. As for the other two countries, we will tell them that the kingdom of Manelas won the war. So the two losers will become vassal states. Controlling them all from the shadows."
Elysia nodded, satisfied. It would be easy with our power to take control of the three nations. The only problem left is where we will live.
Sure, the kingdoms will be in my command, but humans will remark easily if suddenly women with wings were to start roaming the streets, and we can't just mind control them because we need their emotions.
So we needed a place for us to just be ourselves without the humans or other species bothering us.
"Wendy, Sherry, Shiro I want you to start the construction of an underworld kingdom. It doesn't need to be too big, just enough to comfortably house all the succubi plus some guests. We will expand later if we need to. With magic it won't take too long. If you need help with planning, just ask for some help from an architect. I heard Dwarf had excellent ones."
With magic, engineering problems can be ignored, and with the help of some 'willing' dwarf, the construction will be finished in no time.
"Yes, my lady, we will not disappoint you!"
They left the garden determined to construct a kingdom for our kind. It was only Elysia and me left now.
I approached her and took her in a princess carry. She blushed, knowing exactly what was coming.
I teleported us to my bedroom, dropping her on the bed. After all that happened, I needed some relaxation, so Elysia will have to do some extra hours for a few days.
The next day, after a good night's sleep, I got to work making the king of the country announce that they won the war at the cost of all their men.
The civilians were sad and angry when they heard that their husbands, brothers, and sons were dead, but manipulating their emotions to replace these negative emotions with a sense of pride for the noble sacrifice of their loved ones was a piece of cake.
After that I teleported to the capital of the defeated country, taking control of their government and making them announce their defeat in the war, making sure the civilians don't hold a grudge against anyone and just accept their new status as a vassal country.
It was honestly easy. Mind control really comes in handy when you know how to use it.
Why use a strength or politics scheme when you only have to manipulate a few people to take control of a country without any death?
Now that was done. I just had to wait for the construction of the succubus kingdom. Hum, now that I think of it, I need to find another name; "succubus kingdom" sounds wrong.
Lilith Kingdom didn't do it either. So I searched in the name of my previous world, Shadows Garden. Not really a name for a kingdom, but it will be the name of the place where all succubus can come to rest when they are tired.
I obviously didn't have any intention to fight evil cultists or roleplay as a Chuunibyou teenager.
But considering in a sense I will protect the world from the shadows by eliminating any expansionist country I find, I found the name fitting. And it was a cool name.
After finding a name, I teleported back to the castle. I appeared in the throne room, surprising an unsuspecting succubus that was cleaning the place.
She immediately stopped what she was doing and bowed to me. Normally for cleaning we would use the maid of the castle, but my subordinates insisted that letting some human do it would take too much time and they wanted to be useful to me.
So ten volunteer succubi started to do all the cleaning work in the castle. With their magic, they generally only take an hour to do everything. The rest of the time they help Elysia in her job or do whatever they do.
I look at her, still bowing, waiting for me to leave or tell her she can continue. Seeing her, I am reminded of how weak the succubi are.
I mean, they are strong by the standard of humans, but to me they wouldn't even qualify as cannon fodder.
So I tried my new ability on her. The one I got from the updated version of Joy, Desire for Happiness. I put my hand on her head and used our connection to give her some of my power.
I didn't use it before because I forgot with all that happened, and the boost I can provide is not substantial enough for strong people like Wendy or the other.
It will be like putting a water cup in a lake. For succubi, on the other hand, it could provide a good boost in power, around 50% more powerful, if the ecstatic succubi in front of me is a good indicator.
"Go tell the other succubi to come here."
The newly powered-up succubi bowed her head one more time before she left. With the boost, she was still weak, but at least she could be useful. I ignored the feeling of warmth I felt watching the happy face she made leaving.
The stupid egg was acting up again. It hadn't done anything since the previous day and seemed to activate at random when I was with someone I considered like family or friends.
I spent the rest of the day powering up the rest of the succubi. They all had approximately the same boost in power as the first one.
They all thanked me for my gift, saying they will use it to serve me even better in the future. I smiled while suppressing the warmth coming from the egg.
At that moment I got a thought communication from Sherry.
"What is it, Sherry? Do you have some problem with the construction?"
"Yes, Lady Lilith, you could say that. Do you remember when you suggested taking a dwarf for the architectural work?"
"Yes, I remember. What is the problem? Can't you find one?"
"No, it's not that. We are currently in front of the dwarf country Dwargon, but they sensed us coming. They prepared an army led by their king. I was calling you to know what you wanted us to do."
I thought for a moment. I don't want to cause a conflict for something as trivial as an architect, and if the dwarf can sense the three from far enough to have the time to set up an army, they can't be underestimated.
"I will be there soon. Just wait for me."
I cut the thought communication, concentrating on my connection with Sherry to teleport to them.
A few seconds later I found her. I told Elysia, who had joined me during the power-up of the succubi, that we would go pay a visit to the dwarf, and I teleported us.