Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Samira leaned forward on the roof, her red kimono billowing as if it were still made of flames. Her eyes sparkled, attentive to her husband's words.

"Hmm... two guilds under our wing?" She smiled broadly, baring her fangs. "Well, considering what happened with Osiris... I'm wary, but I believe it will work now that we have much more power."

Strax didn't look away from the horizon, but his voice was firm, as if dictating fate:

"Cristine and Yennifer have experience. The Shadow Guild is already dead on our continent, but they know how it was built, how it breathed. Here, they will build a new one—and I want it to be more efficient than anything that has ever existed. Reaper will be the name. Only that. May the night rats whisper that title as a curse."

Samira let out a low laugh. "Oh, I hope they can live like that again... Well, I think they've overcome that tragic past."

"As for Rogue..." Strax continued, turning to face her. "She's always been ambitious. She's always wanted coin, fame, power. Give her the order to found a mercenary guild. I want her to use whoever is useful, to hire, buy, threaten, or seduce, it doesn't matter. This guild will be the muscle. Brute force for when I want to crush her."

Samira descended from the roof with a light leap, landing before him with the grace only predators possess. Her flaming spear glowed for a moment before fading into sparks as she crossed her arms. "Reaper in the shadows, mercenaries in the light. Information and military power."

"Exactly." Strax nodded. "A base of operations that doesn't rely on nobles or useless guards. Something that breathes on its own, even when far from us."

Samira raised an eyebrow provocatively. "Love... this sounds more like the beginning of an empire than just a trip to the Capital."

Strax didn't smile, but his golden eyes gleamed brightly. "Perhaps that's exactly it."

Hadrian, who had leaned in close to listen, widened his eyes. "You talk as if it's easy... to found guilds? It takes decades. Influence, contacts, alliances, money..."

Samira took a step toward him, tilting her head like a curious feline. "Hadrian... you still don't understand." Her voice was sweet, but there was a hint of menace in the melody. "For us, decades can be days. And what can't be bought... can be taken."

The merchant took a deep breath. His heart pounded, but his mind calculated. Maybe, just maybe, being with these two wasn't just about survival—but the chance to become part of something that could change the entire continent.

"If you're really going to create this..." Hadrian began hesitantly. "Then the Capital is the right place." But it won't be easy. The guilds there are old, strong, and don't welcome competition.

Strax turned to him, his expression cold and resolute. "Then we will destroy the useless ones and absorb the useful ones."

Hadrian shivered, but didn't dare argue.

Later that night, Samira walked alone into the forest and went directly to where Cristine, Yennifer, and Rogue were resting, far from the destroyed plaza. The women, still tired, looked up as she approached.

"We have new orders." Samira's voice was firm, but a mischievous smile played on her lips. "Cristine, Yennifer, you two will rebuild something you already know well. A guild of shadows, a network that breathes secrets and lies. Strax has already given it its name: Reaper."

Later, the moon illuminated the city's rubble like a silver blade. The silence was heavy, broken only by the occasional crackle of charred wood. Samira walked alone to where Cassandra, Cristine, Yennifer, and Rogue had gathered, away from the square. The smell of smoke still clung to their clothes, and exhaustion marked their every glance. When Samira appeared, her presence dominated the space like the fire that always accompanied her.

"We have new orders," she announced, her voice carrying both firmness and a mischievous smile on her lips. Her amber eyes glowed, reflecting the invisible flame that never faded within her. "Cristine, Yennifer... Strax expects you to rebuild something you already know well. A guild of shadows. A network that breathes secrets, poison, and lies. He's already chosen the name: Reaper."

Cristine blinked in surprise as Yennifer half-risen, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes narrowed in calculating thought.

"This won't be simple..." Yennifer murmured, her voice low as if speaking to herself. "But we know how the old days worked. We started small, cheap informants, hired killers, tavern spies... and then we worked our way up. Every rumor will be a weapon."

Cristine took a deep breath, but a faint smile appeared on her pale face. "Reaper. The name already sounds like a whisper of death."

Samira inclined her head, satisfied. "Do whatever it takes. This continent needs to learn to fear the shadows again."

Then her amber eyes slowly turned to Rogue. The woman, who had been drumming her fingers against her leg, was already widening her smile, anticipating something would be entrusted to her.

"And you..." Samira said, letting the suspense sink in for a moment. "Strax gave you the most dangerous toy. A mercenary guild."

Rogue's white teeth gleamed in the dim light as she smiled fiercely. "Hah! Finally, something worthwhile!" Her voice vibrated with wild excitement. "I can choose who to take with me, can't I?"

"All those who are useful," Samira confirmed, each word sharp as steel. "Buy, seduce, threaten, kill, it doesn't matter. We want numbers, sharp blades, and muscle. Strax will crush the rest with his bare hands."

Rogue laughed out loud, her laughter echoing through the night. "Oh, this will be fun."

It was then that a third voice cut through the air, thick with irony.

"Fun, yes... and inevitable."

Everyone turned and saw Scarlet emerge from the shadows, her arms crossed and a cold smile on her lips. The woman seemed to have been there much longer than she cared to admit.

Samira sighed deeply, rolling her eyes. "You could at least announce your arrival, couldn't you?" she said mockingly.

Scarlet responded with a lazy, mischievous smile. "Well, dear... if you were stronger, you would have sensed my presence."

Samira narrowed her eyes, snorting. "Always this obsession with trying to appear superior..."

But Scarlet wasted no time. Her eyes were now on Cristine and Yennifer. "Go to Filgram. It's a boring town, too crowded for it to contain itself... but I remember there being a branch of an information guild there." Nothing too big, just an organized sewer." A sharp smile curved her lips. "Devour this nest. Rip out their hearts and make it the foundation of the Reaper."

Cristine gave a small but genuine smile. "You've always been practical, Scarlet."

Yennifer nodded slowly, her eyes shining with new ideas. "Taking what already exists… yes, it's faster than building from scratch."

"Practical"?" Scarlet arched an eyebrow. "I'd just say efficient."

Cristine laughed, shaking her head. "Call it what you will. Thanks for the quick solution."

At that moment, Rogue snorted loudly, crossing his arms like a spoiled child, but with a dangerous glint in his eye. "Hey, that's unfair! Are you going to give clever orders just to them? I want something too!"

Scarlet sighed dramatically, as if Rogue's impatience were a burden. "So eager…"

"So?" Rogue stamped her foot theatrically. "Are you going to keep leaving me out?"

"No," Scarlet said, her voice now like poisoned silk. "Follow the river north. You'll find Athenion. There are some small, starving, nearly useless guilds there... but with cheap people to buy and enough idiots to submit to. Do what you want with them."

Rogue raised her eyebrows, a fierce smile spreading across her mouth. "Now! That's what I call a gift."

Samira watched the scene silently, until finally she let out a short, almost incredulous laugh. "Ah... so that's it."

Scarlet glanced at her sideways, feigning innocence. "What?"

Samira narrowed her eyes and pointed an accusing finger at her, smiling maliciously. "You're not being generous, Scarlet. You're just trying to make amends quickly. The more useful you appear, the easier it will be to wring Strax's forgiveness."

Scarlet smiled, calm, serene, but her eyes sparkled with an almost cruel cunning. "Anything goes, Samira," she said, leaning closer, her voice a venomous whisper. "In life... and in love."