Chapter 1217: I Don't Deserve Any Of You
Archer stepped forward and gave the dragonkin a sudden kiss, which made her stiffen at the public display of affection, but she was happy as the two broke apart. Once she composed herself, she turned toward the soldier.
''Ashoka sent her to report on your progress, and from what I can see, it's going well,'' Elara revealed. ''But it seems the Alliance has gathered more forces there than we expected.''
He turned to the blonde woman and questioned, ''How is the fighting? Is the 9th holding up good?''
The soldier nodded. ''Yes, my king. Queen Ashoke is a skilled general and has won three battles so far. The Alliance tried trapped us in a mountain pass, but the Tiger Warriors pushed them back,'' she responded with a respectful voice.
She continued, her voice laced with concern, ''The legion is entrenched on a hill a few days'' march from here. The Legionnaires have fortified their position, but the Alliance keeps attacking, relentless in their attempts to break through.''
Archer grew curious before asking, ''Do you need reinforcements? I can send the 17th, 18th and 19th to reinforce her.''
When the blonde heard this, her eyes widened but quickly answered, ''That would help immensely. The queen believes there are more armies lurking around as she spotted an enemy fleet sailing away from the shore.''
''The reason I'll send those three legions is because four more are on the way,'' Archer replied, his tone steady. ''I'll have Aisha deploy even more reinforcements. We have two hundred and thirty-seven armies in total, along with twenty-one underwater legions ready for action.''
Elara and Kassandra's eyes went wide as the dragonkin woman muttered, ''One hundred million soldiers?''
Archer nodded with a proud smile as he explained. ''Yes, we're running out of space on Draconia and three out of four islands. We need to conquer more land to colonize it with our people.''
''Why so many soldiers? Don't it bankrupt the kingdom?'' Kassandra questioned with curious dark eyes.
''Well, yes, it's very expensive, but by the time we conquer more land and incorporate them into the Draconia Empire, we can start selling our many stockpiles of rare resources to earn back to the gold.''
The Kraken Princess nodded, ''I remember those platforms, they are everywhere inside the Death Mist. How many warehouses are there now?''
Archer thought briefly before answering, ''A few thousand at least. The Homeguards have been using space boxed to keep the stuff safe, but even with those there is still too much. We need our traders to sell it to the other realms.''
When the two women heard this as he spoke to the blonde Tiger Warrior, ''You'll lead the three legions to the hill where Ashoka is and reinforce them.''
She saluted him and rushed off to rest as Elara spoke, ''It's getting to the worst part of winter. Will the legions be stationed in the western part of Duskfire?''
Archer shook his head. ''No. I'll swap them out with fresh armies after a few months, but that's after they establish a fortress to defend our gains,'' he responded.
Elara and Kassandra nodded in agreement just as he sent a message to Aisha, 'Can you deploy the 26th through to the 30th to Avidia? We need more soldiers to secure our new land.'
Minutes passed and the brown-skinned beauty answered, 'That's fine, handsome. May I come see you in a few days? I want to go out,'
'Yes, definitely,' Archer answered. 'How about we go on a date? There are a few good places here.'
'Sounds good to me, husband,' Aisha answered in a cheerful voice. 'I'll forward your orders to high command.'
Following that, Elara and Kassandra went to check on the three legions that were preparing to depart west. Archer watched the two women walking away, causing him to gulp when seeing their behind.
The Kraken woman's ass was round yet firm, while the Elara's was more perky. Both jiggled with every motion, stirring his desire. He shook his head, refocusing as he returned to the Domain.
Archer appeared outside the Nightmare Colony and stepped inside while making his way toward Vivienne's house she built deep below the ground. He had to admit he was amazed as there were trillions of ants wondering around.
Then his senses picked up on the other queens, busy in their own homes. All together, the four armies were uncountable. While walking, he picked up on another two who had recently evolved, which caught his attention.
Ten minutes later, as he was halfway to Vivienne's home, when suddenly a transport ant suddenly appeared in front of him. Archer couldn't help but smile at the convenience of it and decided to thank the ant queen.
Without hesitation, he climbed onto its back, and it began dashing down the tunnels. As they descended deeper into the labyrinthine, the air thick with the scent of earth and the faint hum of distant activity.
The surrounding walls glowed faintly, illuminated by fungi that flickered as the ants scurried past. He noticed the transport ant beneath him moved with purpose, its legs clicking softly against the stone as it navigated the twisting paths.
As they passed through wide chambers filled with countless ants working tirelessly, Archer marveled at the efficiency of the colony. Soldiers stood watch at strategic points, their eyes glinting with a sharp awareness, while workers carried food.
Occasionally, a giant ant would lumber by, its massive form casting a long shadow, and the other ants would briefly bow in reverence. Despite the bustling activity, there was an eerie silence, as if the entire colony moved in harmony, governed by a shared, unspoken purpose.
Archer leaned back, enjoying the smooth ride as the ant sped up, the tunnels blurring around him. Not long after that, the transport ant stopped outside of Vivienne's house, causing him to jump down.
That's when the queen appeared with a big smile, ''Morning, handsome, what brings you here?''
''Would you like to go on a date?'' he asked, which surprised the woman.
Her red eyes widened, but she quickly agreed, ''Of course, where would you like to go?''
Archer smiled before answering, ''I was going to take you past the mountain fortresses to explore the north.''
Vivienne quickly nodded. ''That would be nice. I'd love to spend some time with you.''
Following that, he opened a Gate to the fortress and stepped through with the ant queen and appeared on the walls. They were battling random monsters that attacked the wall, but he ignored that before taking off.
The duo flew north and spotted enemy armies moving around, causing him to send memory snaps back to Elara using Mana Manipulation. When the dragonkin woman received them, she was thankful.
Soon enough, Archer spotted a city in the distance. ''Look there, we can see if that place has any pleasant spots for dates,'' he suggested.
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Vivienne agreed, which made him descend just outside the walls while avoiding getting spotted by the guards. Afterward, they walked toward the gate as he changed his appearance so he wouldn't cause alarm.
Five minutes later, the couple were waiting in line to enter Runefire City, which was a trade hub in the Duskfire Empire. Archer was wary, but Vivienne kept pampering him and making sure he was okay.
''Are you a cold master? The weather is getting worse,'' she asked in a caring voice. ''I have a cloak in the ring you gave me?''
Archer couldn't help but smile when seeing her concern expression causing him to lean over and kiss the ant queen. He felt her tremble, but her hand cupped his cheek while reciprocating it.
Seconds later, the two of them separated as she spoke with red cheeks, ''What was that for, master?''
''I wanted to show you that I truly care,'' he said, his voice soft but sincere. ''I'm trying to make amends for neglecting the women who mean so much to me.''
Vivienne's face lit up with a warm smile as she wrapped her arms around him. ''It's alright, master,'' she said gently. ''I understand how busy you are and that you have many lovers to share your time with. Just know that seeing you, even briefly, is enough to make me happy.''
''I don't deserve any of you,'' he responded while feeling bad.
The ant woman looked at him with narrowed eyes before revealing, ''Don't say such things, master! Every one of the harem members I've spoken to, love you greatly and are loyal. Most of them told me they would have ended up in loveless marriages if you hadn't come along.''
When Archer heard that, he smiled and nodded. ''I'll keep that in mind, Vivi,'' he replied.
Following that, the line into Runefire City started moving, allowing the couple to enter after waiting for another hour. He quickly noticed that the soldiers were from the Alliance with fire elves mixed in.
'They look on guard,' he mused before spotting even more troops milling about the entrance square.
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