Mantle of the Gods [LitRPG / Slow Burn / FTB Harem]

Aelin Aurox rushed into my room and jumped on the bed.

"Wakey wakey!" The brown woman brushed her shoulder-length blonde hair out of her eyes as she bounced on her knees.

"Aelin!" I pulled my wrist out from under the ivory woman sleeping on my left. My eyes were still adjusting to the light she'd turned on as I focused on the display of the crystal face of the watch.

The Crystal Band, or CB as it was called, was a device that connected an Adventurer to the system. It was a great place to store inventory, information, maps, and items, as well as doubling as a communication device and watch. I was usually one of the first ones awake, but the last few days had been strenuous, and I'd finally gotten a chance to sleep. I must have slept in.

6:12 am

"Aelin!" I grabbed the extra pillow on my right and threw it at her. "Why are you up this early!"

"Your dad said we were leaving first thing this morning." The short woman laughed as she swatted the pillow away.

"You can't just come into my room!" I pushed myself into the sitting position. Ether, the white-haired woman on my left, just snuggled into my lap, oblivious that people were moving around her. "What if I hadn't been decent?"

"Please." Aelin blew a raspberry at me. "Ren got up a few minutes ago, so I knew it was safe."

I looked to my right, where Ren Zavel had slept the night before. Her place was empty but still warm.

"Is Ren number two now?" Aelin bounced her eyebrows.

"Why are you so invested in the harem?" I sighed as I slid out from under the sleeping woman.

"Someone has to be." Aelin reached over to shake Ether, and I grabbed her shoulder. "I'll ask Ether."

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"Let her sleep. You know she's not a morning person." I let go of her arm, then started looking for my shirt. That was as far into undressing as I'd gotten before I'd collapsed. "I don't know…" I poked through clothes on the floor that I was certain had only been tried on and never worn. Somehow my room had been designated the changing room for the team. Or maybe that was how they'd kept Ether busy since she hadn't been allowed to go with us yesterday. "I didn't know there needed to be a ranking system."

"Here!" Aelin tossed the black t-shirt at me. She grinned. "There's always a ranking system. And you know Gesai isn't happy about not being number two anymore."

"Gesai understands that she's important to me, but she could also kill me with a hug." I shivered at the thought as I fixed my shirt from being inside out. "So she knows that we can't be together like that until after I graduate and level up a bunch."

"Doesn't mean she doesn't still want it." Aelin grumbled, then pointed at the seal on my chest. "Is that thing always visible?"

I looked down at the blue crest I was about to cover. Initially, it had just been a staff, but then a dagger had been added for Rix Aurox, and just a little while ago, a shield and sword had also been added. The shield for Ether and the sword for Pixie Warray.

I groaned as I thought about Pixie. She was Ether's aunt, even though there was only a few months difference in their ages. The pink-haired woman had no sense of self-preservation and had gotten herself and Rix transported to a completely different Ward. The two of them had been picked up by allies, but they were still in a hostile city. We were getting ready to leave so we could go pick them up and bring them back to the Cathedral.

"Since you're part of the crest now, you can see it." I pulled down my shirt.

Aelin touched the back of her neck. "It's so weird to think that one day you're going to have your own city!" Her smile revealed flat teeth, unlike the shark-like ones that Ether had. "I call dibs on the job of Director of Commerce!"

"I'm not sure that's how that works." I chuckled as I headed to the door.

"Hey!" Aelin grabbed my arm. The chocolate brown of her fingers contrasting against the snow-white of my skin. Her green eyes looked up at me. "Don't forget about me."

I ruffled her blonde hair, loosening her ponytail in the process. "You're like my little sister; I don't think I could ever forget about you."

"Good." Aelin huffed as she fixed her hair. "Do we need to wake her up?" She motioned at the woman sleeping behind us.

"Let her sleep a little more." I opened the door. "We've got a long day ahead of us."