Ch 341: Meetings in Azure Dragon City.

"Welcome back, my little master. This big sister was starting to feel lonely!" exclaimed Qi Yue after appearing near him.

"Hi, Qi Yue, Ye Yue." smiled Noah with a nod just before summoning Little Grey and Xi Ling. He scratched their heads for a few seconds before straightening. "Some things have happened in my world, and I have been quite busy."

"What kind of things?"

"I helped stop a war, although the peace treaty has yet to be signed. I'll have to attend the peace conference tomorrow morning. Hopefully, it won't last several days. Two different groups of people were also trying to kidnap me, and I settled matters with them. In the process, I made various parties more aware of my strength, so I do not expect any more trouble for a while."

"Oh? So my little master is an important person in your world?"

"I told you who I worked for and what she expected of me." shrugged Noah. "I am bound to make waves wherever I go."

"But you didn't actually tell me what Lilith expected of you, my little master." sniffed Qi Yue.

"Ah? Now that you mention it, I didn't." nodded Noah. "In general terms, she wants me to bring peace and prosperity to humanity, and curbs some of our most self-destructive instincts and greed. As long as my actions influence the world in a positive way, she is satisfied with me."

Noha opened the player rankings.

Rank 1          Eve                                 Fame: 6450

Rank 2          Luo Hao                       Fame: 4250

Rank 3          Ruo Ruo                       Fame: 3952

Rank 4          Ice Heart Demon       Fame: 3890

Rank 5          Noah                           Fame: 3835

Rank 6          CuteZero                    Fame: 2720

Rank 7          _____                          Fame: 2412

Rank 8        Caesar                             Fame: 2247

Rank 9          Sword Emperor           Fame: 2025

Rank 10          Sword God Doni        Fame: 1940

Noha sighed, seeing that he went down further than he thought. He would need to work hard.

He opened the pet and weapon ranking next. The pet ranking still only listed his Holy Spirit Beast and Crimson Spirit as expected, but there was a new entry on the weapon ranking.

Rank 1: Last Rites                  Type: Sword          Grade: Fairy          Owner: Eve

Rank 2: Soaring Cloud          Type: Spear           Grade: Fairy          Owner: Noah

Noah summoned his horse and climbed on it.

"We're still a few hours away from Azure Dragon City, and I'm not going to stop. Xi Ling, Little Grey, if you see any elite on our path, please deal with it."

*Chirp!* happily cried Xi Ling as she beat her wings and took to the air.

Qi Yue disappeared, and Noah started moving.

…

Noah reached the City Lord's palace, introduced himself to the guards, and one of them led him inside to the same room where he had once met the City Lord.

He didn't have to wait long before his host showed up, walking in with an eager pace, an older man and two guards following him.

"Greetings, City Lord." nodded Noah politely.

"Greetings, Noah. Have you succeeded in your mission?"

Noah smiled and put on the table a Death Bloom.

The old man beside the City Lord moved closer, took the black herb to examine it more closely, and his face lit up.

"It really is a Death Bloom! I will start creating the antidote right away!" exclaimed the man before leaving the room, almost running.

The City Lord sighed in contentment.

"Thank you, young hero from another world. You did me a great favor. Here are the rewards I promised you."

He gestured to his guards, and one of them placed a number of items on the table.

[Cyan Potion]: Advanced HP recovery potion, after use instantly recovers 1500 HP, Cooldown Time: 5 secs, Price, 5 silver.

[Purple Potion]: Advanced MP recovery potion, after use instantly recovers 400 MP, Cooldown Time: 5 secs, Price, 5 silver.

There were twenty Cyan Potions and ten Purple potions. The guard also placed a purse filled with 10 000 gold coins, and most importantly, a scroll.

Noah pocketed all the items aside from the scroll, and he examined it with scan.

[Lease permit]: Allows access to the specified building in the Azure Dragon City for a limited duration.

“*Ding* … … You have completed the secret quest "Looking for Death Bloom grass", EXP +5 000, Fame +100, Skill points +100. In the future, minor violations of city laws will not be punished. Every day, you are permitted to kill a maximum of 5 people (limited to players) without being arrested. Hidden reward: Your favorability with the City Lord has greatly increased. From now on, you can visit him and request his help while in Azure Dragon City.”

"I am happy to have been of use, City Lord." politely said Noah. "I hope your son will make a full recovery."

"He will, the doctor assured me of it." nodded the City Lord.

"Did you have a hard time finding that herb?"

"Yes and no." shrugged Noah. "I fought my way through the Ghastly Grounds. Aside from an encounter with a team of three Lord-grade undeads and their elite minions, it wasn't particularly troublesome. The Lonely Ridge beyond it was desolate and sinister, with not a single herb, animal or monster in sight, aside from a castle."

"A castle?"

"One whose main gate was shaped like a skull." nodded Noah. "The being living there was clearly evil and powerful. I didn't find any Death Bloom anywhere in the Lonely Ridge, so I eventually gathered my courage and cautiously infiltrated the castle. Luckily for me, it seems its owner was away, and I found a number of Death Blooms in the back garden. I took a few, left the castle, then ran off as fast as the horse could carry me."

"I see. We are very fortunate, then." sighed The City Lord. "I will report your words to the next Moon God Envoy who visits. They might decide to send an expedition to deal with the castle's owner. You took more than one death bloom?"

"Yes. I intend to sell most of them to auction, but would you be interested in buying another, just in case it is needed again?" asked Noah, and the City Lord nodded.

"Yes. I can offer you four thousand Gold Coins for one, or would you prefer a Gold-grade piece of equipment?"

"I would prefer the equipment, please."

"Follow me, then." nodded the City Lord.

Noah nodded and followed the Lord to a fortified room full of treasures. The Lord examined the various items placed on racks, glanced at Noah, estimating his level and the quality of the items he wore, then made his choice.

"This should bring you the greatest benefits for your level." said the City Lord as he picked up a folded garment from a chest. Pants covered with silver scales.

[Wind Spirit's Pants]: Type: Pants. Grade: Gold. Equipment Requirements: Any Rogue or Archer profession, Lvl 15. Mystical pants that contains wind elemental power. After wearing it, your body becomes light and agile like the wind. Attributes: Defense +50, Agility +15, HP +100, Movement Speed +15, Wind Elemental Resistance +10%.

Noah smiled at the sight of the +15% movement speed. He didn't really care about the rest of the item's stats, but for this alone, those pants were already far superior to those he currently wore.

"Thank you, City Lord. This will indeed benefit me greatly." said Noah with a respectful nod as he accepted the pants and gave the City Lord another Death Bloom.

"A small matter." shrugged the City Lord before he seemed to think about something.

"I happen to have another mission to give you, if you are interested."

"A mission?" asked Noah, and the City Lord nodded.

"The human territory in the Forgotten Continent is centered around five major cities. Vermillion Bird City in the South. White Tiger City in the East. Black Tortoise City in the North. Azure Dragon City in the East. And finally, Forgotten City in the central region."

"But far north of Black Tortoise City is a vast land controlled by the Beast People. They are not followers of the Moon Goddesses and we know little about them, not even the name of their cities or who their rulers are. They do not welcome humans."

"One evildoer named Xiao Feng Chen, the Sect master of the Feng Chen Heart Murdering Curse Sect, stole a forbidden treasure from a Moon God Representative. Before the Envoys could corner him, he managed to flee into the Beast People's lands."

"Feng Chen Heart Murdering Curse? The name sounds quite sinister." frowned Noah.

"It is an evil sect." nodded the City Lord. "They wielded strange and terrifying curses that could push their victims to commit suicide or even act like they were animals. Thankfully, that sect has been exterminated, aside from that fugitive."

"Is there a time limit?" asked Noah. He had a hunch about the nature of this 'forbidden treasure'.

"There isn't. I advise you not to search for him immediately anyway, since Xiao Feng Chen was around level 50 when he fled, and his vicious curses can even affect Moon God Envoys that have a much higher level than him!"

"I see… I accept this quest, City Lord." nodded Noah.

He wanted to farm monsters, but he had no specific location in mind to do it and might as well head north as he did. And if the Beast People were no allies of the Moon Goddess, if he somehow managed to form a relationship with them, their territory might become a potential hiding spot if his secret was ever discovered.

"Good. In that case, take this. It might prove useful." smiled the Cito Lord as he took five scrolls from a shelf. Noah accepted them and examined the scrolls.

[Azure Dragon City Return Scroll]: Type: Scroll. Grade: Silver. Upon activation, you will be teleported to Azure Dragon City. Single use only.

"Thank you, City Lord. Those will be very useful. I'll be on my way, then." gratefully said Noah.

Deep inside, he cursed the City Lord for not having given him one before. He had wasted over a day on the saddle to return from Lonely Ridge when he didn't have to!

The City Lord nodded, and Noah left his palace. The vast plaza in the center of Azure Dragon City was occupied by countless players, about a tenth of which wore masks. Some were paying attention to him, having seen him leave the City Lord's palace and wearing pieces of silver and gold equipment.

Noah ignored the glances and walked to the north-east corner of the plaza and waited. He made a slightly peculiar gesture with his left hand, keeping his thumb between his index and his middle finger. It was something he had agreed upon with the people he was waiting for, to easily recognize each other despite the masks.

He only had to wait ten minutes or so before a group of eight girls, all wearing masks, walked to him. One of them hurried her steps and hugged him tightly.

"I missed you! It's been too long!" exclaimed Shuiruo.

"We saw each other this morning." smiled Noah as he patted her head.

"My point exactly!" grinned Shuiruo.

Origami, feeling very competitive, took her turn hugging him as soon as Shuiruo stepped away.

"Next time, I want to go all the way." whispered Origami in his ear, barely loud enough for him and Shuiruo to hear.

"Alright." nodded Noah while Shuiruo grinned and gave Origami a thumbs up.

When Origami previously told Noah that she was willing to join his harem, he nodded, kissed her, and decided to let her dictate the pace of their relationship.

Until now, Origami had been satisfied with a lot of cuddles, as well as some heavy petting and fingering.

She was a lot less aggressive about it than the original Origami in the fiction, but that was because the fiction's protagonist was acting like a dense wall. Origami didn't feel like she had to overcome Noah's resistance by being extremely proactive, since he had none in the first place.

But now, she seemed ready for more than cuddles and kissing, and Noah looked forward to making her moan and scream in bed.

"My Lord." nodded Liliana.

Beside her was Erica, recognizable despite her mask due to her long golden hair, which were rather rare in this Asian-centric continent. One step behind them were Mu Bing Yao, Yun Meng Xin, Xiao Qi and Su'er.

"Alright. Let's go to a more private place before we can remove the masks." smiled Noah.

"Yes. Do you have a particular location in mind, or should we go into a side alley?"

"I do have somewhere in mind." grinned Noah as he took the Lease Permit and gave it to Yun Meng Xin.

"This is…" started Yun Meng Xin, her eyes widening in shock. "How did you obtain such a thing?"

"What is it?" asked Xio Qi before using Scan on the scroll. "Whoa! A Lease Permit! Isn't that prohibitively expensive?"

"Lower your voice, Qi Qi. Some people are close enough to hear." scolded Erica as she looked around.

Her warning was too late, as a few of the closest players were staring hard at the scroll, and they started talking to each other about it.

"Let's unlock the building first, before some idiots start thinking they can steal it from us." suggested Noah, and the girls nodded.

The building was barely two hundred meters from there. A fairly massive trading house built from the same grey stone that served as construction material for every building in the city. As the holder of the Lease Permit, Yun Meng Xin had administrative rights over it. She could allow or deny access to anyone, and they entered inside. Yun Meng Xin forbade access to the curious players that had been bold enough to follow them.

Without a doubt, some of them would inform the Yan Huang Alliance, and Long Tian Yun would hear about it. Noah doubted the masks truly were enough for Yun Meng Xin to escape his surveillance. Not when his alliance had tens of millions of members, and both her and her companions were so eye-catching.

The girls were already visiting the building, the large theater-like space with the hundreds of seats, the individual viewers rooms were VIPs would be able to bid with relative privacy, and the storage areas behind the scene.

"This place really is ideal." sighed Yun Meng Xin as she removed her mask. And we really can use it for 6 months without paying anything. How did you obtain this Lease?"

"A reward for a quest given by the City Lord to the first player to reach the city." smiled Noah as he removed his own mask. "Hopefully, when the lease expires and you will have to pay the monthly rent, the business will be going well enough to support it."

"I will make sure it will. Thank you very much, Noah. It means a lot to me." smiled Yun Meng Xin.

"Hey, it's not like I'm acting entirely selflessly there." smiled Noah. "I am looking forward to our dates."

"…I am as well." nodded Yun Meng Xin.

The girls had gathered around them, having finished their exploration of the trading house, and they removed their masks, with the exception of Liliana, Erica and Origami.

"There are more things I am going to give you to help you get started." said Noah as he started emptying more of his inventory on the nearest table. Most of the items were red crystals, with an individual retail price of 200 Gold Coins.

Noah had farmed close to 300 of them alone.

Lastly, he put Soaring Cloud on the table.

Noah only kept 3 Death Bloom flowers

"So many crystals." exclaimed Su'er. "Did you buy them from a merchant?"

"Nope." grinned Noah as he summoned Little Grey.

Little Grey had barely appeared when Xiao Qi made a joyous cry and tried to grab him. Little Grey evaded with a surprised yelp and hid behind Noah's legs.

"This cute little fellow is named Little Grey. Be gentle with him. Little Grey, these people are friends."

"Ruff!" replied Little Grey. He walked to Xiao Qi, sniffed her hand for a second, and wagged his little tail.

Xiao Qi crooned with joy and started petting him. The other girls smiled, waiting for their turn to feel Little Grey's soft fur.

"Little Grey has a number of absolutely overpowered abilities." explained Noah. "One of them is that he can absorb the corpses of the monsters I defeat, and once in a while, will generate an item determined by the nature of the corpses. The red crystals are from Red-Eyed Lizards. Little Grey is a great money-printing machine. He created one Red Crystal for every six Lizard corpses."

"Absolutely overpowered indeed." nodded Yn Meng Xin. "Do you realize that the things you put on the table are already comparable in value to the cumulated assets of a thousand-player guild? And that doesn't even count Soaring Cloud."

She lightly ran a finger along the spear's shaft.

"And what about your other pet, Noah?" eagerly asked XI Ling.

Noah summoned Xi Ling but gestured for Xiao Qi to stop when she started moving.

"Xi Ling was able to take a human form when I met her, although she currently lost that ability. She will regain it eventually after she level up enough. She may be my pet, but she's also a person, so wait for her permission before you touch her."

Xi Ling chirped once with a nod, and Noah introduced the girls.

"Everyone, I need to leave in a moment to go meet someone else. Let's add each other as contacts to make communication easier in the future."

"Yes!" exclaimed Xiao Qi, the first to open her contact list. The others followed suit.

"Call I really sell all this? Is it fine if we take 20% of the price as commission?" asked Yun Meng Xin.

"All those are gifts, and a small part of the help I promised you. I do not want any gold." shrugged Noah. "Thanks to Little Grey, I will quickly have more gold than I know what to do with."

"That's very generous of you, Noah. This represent a huge help to get the trading house running." smiled Yun Meng Xin.

"That is sort of the point… There is, however, one thing I'd like for you to do. I would appreciate If you could buy bulk quantities of ores and other raw materials that would be useful to help me raise my, currently inexistant, Blacksmithing proficiency."

"On the long term, I intend to forge my own equipment, and maybe even yours. And the weapons and armor pieces I will create but not use will be sold to you at cost so you can resell them and make a profit."

"We will keep that in mind." nodded Yun Meng Xin. "We will supply you with basic materials and hold on to any rare ore for you. Thank you again, Noah."

Noah nodded and unsummoned both Xi Ling and Little Grey.

"Aww." complained Xiao Qi. She had been petting Little Grey when he disappeared. She sent him an aggrieved look like she had just been denied entry at the gates of Heaven.

"Sorry, Qi Qi. There will be other times, but I need to go."

"I hope so! Thanks a lot for your help, Noah. I didn't have much hope to win Sister Meng Xin's bet, but with you, I can actually see it happening."

"One way or another, Yun Meng Xin won't marry that scum." shrugged Noah as he put on his standard white mask. "See you later."

The girls nodded, and Noah left the trading house. As expected, he could see a number of players gathered around the building and ignored those who tried to ask him about it.

He returned to the plaza's corner and waited.

After almost two hours, a group of three young women walked to him. Noah didn't need more than a glance to recognize one of them as Eve.

"I saw that you acquired a fairy-grade weapon. Congratulations." said Noah with a low voice.

"Thank you." nodded Eve.  Without wasting time, she opened her interface and sent a contact request to Noah, who accepted it.

"Remember our agreement. After I defeat you in a month, you'll help me kill the Mad Scientist."

"Of course." grinned Noah. "In a month, I will defeat you and help you with that. Then I will take you to my bed and show you such pleasure that you will get hooked. Before you know it, you will be mine, and you will love it."

"We'll see about that, you arrogant prick." snorted Eve.

She didn't sound angry, but rather like she was accepting a challenge.

Noah chuckled as Eve turned and left, her two companions following without a word.

"The Mad Scientist?" asked Qi Yue in his mind. "Someone from your world, little master?"

"Yes. An evildoer who killed a lot of kids to perform sick experiments, apparently."

Noah walked out of the plaza, heading toward the city's north gate.

"But for some reason, Eve seems convinced that the Mad Scientist came from another world."

"Is that possible? It is unlikely that he comes from this world, at least."

"…I don't think so, but I am not ruling out the possibility either." shrugged Noah. "For now, I will focus on reclaiming my spot at the top and finding more orbs. What can you tell me about the Beast People in the north?"

"Ten thousand years ago, the lands behind the reach of the Black Tortoise City were almost completely unexplored. There were a lot of monsters over there. A few humans were exiled and sent to those lands because of their lack of faith toward the Moon Goddess, and they were never seen again. I cannot tell you anything more about it, not even why the city lord said it was named the land of the Beast People."

"I guess we will see what can be found over there." nodded Noah.

As he kept walking, he was very careful to keep his thoughts from appearing on his face as he pondered on Qi Yue's words.

"… It is unlikely that he comes from this world…"

At no point did Noah mention that the Mad Scientist was a man. Yet Qi Yue had used 'he' to refer to him instead of the gender-neutral 'they'. Could it be possible that Qi Yue knew the Mad Scientist? Was she perhaps an AI created by him? Or was he simply paranoid over something Qi Yue had just assumed?"

Regardless, he felt that asking about it now would be fruitless. Even if his hunch was correct, she would either deny it and he would be unable to confirm for certain if she was telling the truth or not with his Lie Detection not working inside Mystic Moon, or… He had no idea what would happen, but he still felt that Qi Yue was much stronger than she let on.

…

Noah travelled for about two hours, then left the northern road before eventually finding an area that was empty of players and had a lot of Lvl 25 monsters, including a few one-star elite monsters, and he unleashed Xi Ling and Little Grey. His two pets happily got to work, and they quickly reached Lvl 10.

That was the long awaiting threshold that Noah had wanted to reach before disconnecting. The unlocking of Little Gray's last unknown skill.

[Holy Spirit’s Gift]: Current Level: LV1, Highest Level: LV20, Level required to upgrade to LV2: LV20, effect: +1 to all Skills.

As he read the simple text's description, Noah's jaw dropped to the floor. This was simply far too overpowered! It would save him tens of thousands of SP!

The Level up from Heaven Wind Technique et Wind Step Technique were straightforward, giving him an additional 5% damage with all weapons and 5% attack and movement speed.

The second level of Fire of Rage amplified both the benefits and drawbacks of the skill, trading more HP and Defense for Physical Attack Power. Full Power Strike and Little Crescent Slash were already maxed.

More interesting were the added level to the Phantasmal Bladedancer skills.

The passive Agility bonus from Agility Strengthening went from 0.5 to 1.5 per player level, giving him +17 Agility at the current time. Peerless Jade Dance's duration increased from 3 to 4 seconds, and Paragon now added 1.5 times his Magic Power to his attacks as Ice Damage. Not that this would change much, since he still had only 5 in Magic Power.

But the cherry on top was the Mirage Blade skill. At Lvl 2, he would now generate two ghost blades, each doing 30% of his base damage, bringing the total damage of the attack to 160% of his Physical Attack Power stat.

And he only had to pay 2 000 SP to unlock the third level of the skill, generating with each attack 3 ghost blades doing 40% damage each, increasing the output of the skill to 240%.

It would also bring the mana cost to 15 MP per use, but that would have balanced the skill for others simply didn't apply to the owner of the Star God Saint Orb!

Noah could easily understand why this skill's max level was only 3, and he would get to enjoy it very soon.

Xi Ling had also reached level 10 shortly before Little Grey but hadn't unlocked any skill. She just went from hitting like a truck, to hitting like a train. She had something of a late start compared to the Holy Spirit, but she gained Experience from killing monsters, while Little Gray did from devouring corpses, and it seemed the latter method was slower.

"Congratulations, Little Grey." laughed Noah. "You too, Xi Ling. You both did great!"

"Ruff!"

"Chirp!"

"Alright. It's very late, so I will go sleep for a bit in my own world. I have some annoying chore to deal with tomorrow, and then I'll return and we will keep growing stronger."

…

When Noah opened his eyes in the dorm's media room, it was almost two in the morning. He was alone, the girls having decided to tuck in earlier.

Stifling a yawn, he left the room, climbed the stairs, and walked to his own bedroom.

He was surprised when he saw Tenka lying on his bed, dressed in white silk pajamas. She was staring at the ceiling with dark bags visible under her eyes. She turned her head as she saw him and sat up.

"Tenka?" asked Noah.

"…I couldn't sleep." sighed Tenka.

"Is it something to do with your bed? I can make you one softer or firmer, if you wish to try different ones."

"It's not the bed. It's…" Tenka looked down at her hands for a few seconds before she looked back at him, her cheeks reddening a little. "I… don't know what to do with my hands. If I don't hold something, I find myself putting them behind my back. I grow restless, and I… I want to try something. Something that might help me relax."

"I'll do everything I can to help you, Tenka." said Noah.

"…Yes, I'll have to trust you with that, I guess…" Tenka had obvious difficulties voicing her thought. "I want you to… I think, maybe I will be able to relax if I am tied up."

Noah nodded in understanding.

"Back home, I know a girl named Naruhime that was held captive for a long time by some scums. She endured what they did to her without breaking, but her mind also adapted to some extent to her captivity as a survival mechanism. After she recovered her freedom, she was violent with everyone she didn't acknowledge and was unable to relax unless she was bound. She often came to me to get some bondage sessions."

"So I'm not unique?"

"Not in this regard, assuming you are right about the effect bondage will have on you. Do you want to test it right now?"

"…Can I really trust you with this?" asked Tenka.

"Tenka, if I wanted to force myself on you, I would already have done so. I sealed your Angel." said Noah, and Tenka nodded tentatively.

"Please put your hands behind your back, Tenka. Remember, it stops the instant you want it to. You only have to speak."

Tenka nodded and showed him her back. Noah created several sets of padded black leather cuffs and slowly bound her wrists together, then fastened another pair above her elbows, bringing them slightly closer together but without putting any strain on them.

"Are you still okay, Tenka?" asked Noah with a gentle voice.

"I am." nodded Tenka with a small shudder. "You're not going to tell the others about it, right?"

"I won't volunteer the information, but if it truly makes you feel more relaxed, If you need to be bound to sleep properly, we won't be able to hide it for long. Don't worry, if anyone bullies you over it, I will punish them and make them apologize to you."

Tenka nodded slowly and tested her bonds.

Noah kept meeting her gaze as he gently took her right feet and lifted it, holding another pair of leather cuffs in his other hand, watching for any sign of rejection, but she only gulped.

Noah slowly fastened the first cuff around her ankle, then did the same with her other leg.

"It's done. There's no padlocks, so you can remove them at any time. I'm going to tuck you in, Tenka."

"…okay."

Noah lifted her and placed her under the cover. He stripped to his underwear, and joined her, but kept a fifty centimeters distance between them.

"Good night, Tenka."

"Good night." replied Tenka.

Noah turned the light off and stopped moving, his eyes on the ceiling, but he didn't fall asleep immediately. He listened to her breathing. To her flexing her muscles, repeatedly testing her bonds.

After a few minutes, she spoke.

"It's… better, but not enough." whispered Tenka.

"Do you mean that you want to feel more helpless to truly relax?" softly asked Noah.

"…Yes."

"I see..." nodded Noah before turning the lights on. "Tonight, Tenka, your opinion doesn't matter anymore. I will do whatever I want with you. I will truly make you helpless."

Tenka gulped, but nodded.

Noah put the cover away and sat up Tenka. He added padlocks to her cuffs, securing them, shortened the chains linking them, and added a few black leather belts above and under her breasts as well as around her waist, pinning her arms behind her. More belts went above and under her knees, and Noah covered her expectant eyes with a black leather blindfold, then put a red rubber ball between her white teeth.

He fastened the strap behind her neck, not too tight, and pulled the cover them.

"Good night, Tenka."

"Mmph." replied Tenka with a soft voice.

Noah switched the lights off again, and snuggled against Tenka, cuddling her from behind with an arm around her waist.

…

Tenka had frozen solid when Noah had embraced her from behind, wondering if he was going to do lewd things to her, if she hadn't make a huge mistake.

But when he stopped moving, apparently satisfied with just holding her, she gradually relaxed.

Hs body was… warm, and the feeling of the leather straps keeping her bound gave her a strange feeling of peace. Before she really had time to examine her feelings, the exhaustion caught up to her, and she fell asleep.

…

"…ake up, Tenka."

Tenka groaned tiredly as she regained awareness. She had been able to sleep properly for once, and she didn't want for it to stop so soon!

For an instant, she panicked as she felt the leather restraints tight against her skin, and the taste of rubber she had long been accustomed to, but then memories came back, and she relaxed.

She felt his hand undoing the straps and help her sit up before removing the blindfold and gag.

"How are you feeling, Tenka?" asked Noah as she blinked.

"Much better. But I'm still tired. Is it morning already?"

"Yes. You slept for five hours. I would have given you more time, but I have that peace conference in Japan and I needed to untie you before leaving."

Tenka nodded, looking down at her pajamas, still buttoned up. It seemed that he hadn't used the opportunity to do anything perverted with her body.

Once she was completely free, she massaged her wrists, wondering about the complete absence of numbness.

"I used my healing on you to energize you and help make up for the short night before you woke up." said Noah.

"Thank you." nodded Tenka. Now that she was fully awake, she really felt refreshed.

"… Can we do it again tonight? It really helped."

"Sure. And I'm kicking myself for not thinking about using the Sanctuary's time dilation. I promise you a full night next time."

"Yes." said Tenka as she rose. She suddenly felt embarrassed as she imagined herself being hugged another night. "I'm returning to my room. See you for breakfast."

"I won't be with you girls for breakfast. I need to return to Japan. The conference starts in less than an hour when I take the different time zones into account."

…

Noah felt his smartphone vibrate once and glanced at the screen. It was a message from Yui.

"Ruo Ruo's daily rolls. 5: double roll. 3 and 3, Independence restriction Lvl 3 and Lvl 4. From now on, Ruo Ruo must ask for your permission before she can eat, and you control her money.

Bunny's daily roll: 6 and 3, Anal + Oral training. Anal Training Lvl 3: The Slave must wear a medium-sized butt plug at least 6 hours a day. Oral Training Lvl 2: The Slave's lips must now touch the base of the dildo for at least five consecutive seconds for each repetition to count."

He smiled as he erased the message and tucked the phone in his pocket and noticed Shiori's side glance.

"Nothing relevant or time-sensitive." shrugged Noah, and she nodded, reporting her attention to the approaching British delegation.

They were waiting on the side with Hatsune, Rikka and Kisara standing behind them.

The site of the conference had been chosen as the Shizuoka's Tutelary Fort by the Japanese government. A not-so-subtle reminder of the crushing defeat the British forces had suffered only a few kilometers away, and of the current balance of power between them.

In front of the Tutelary Fort's main gate was the Japanese delegation consisting of the Prime Minister representing the Empress, the Foreign Affairs minister, the Chief of Staff, the Governor General of the Shizuoka prefecture who was also Rikka's father, and a half-dozen secretaries or more junior officials.

The three armored limos escorted by several military cars stopped thirty meters away, and the members of the British delegation left their vehicles. Noah could identify the two Legatus Legionis, the Black Prince Edward and Richard the Lionheart by their presence alone.

Black Prince Edward was a tall man with neck-length, slicked back blonde hair and green eyes.

Richard was taller, with long, wavy black hair and eyes.

The two Legatus scanned the people waiting for them in turn, and their sharp gaze lingered on Noah for a moment before they turned back to the Limo and helped a young woman get out.

She seemed to be in her mid-twenties, with long, straight platinum blonde hair reaching the small of her back and deep blue eyes.

"That would be Princess Eleanor. Third in line of succession." said Shiori with a low voice. "I wasn't told she would be there. She generally doesn't get involved in politics. At least, not openly."

"The Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister do not seem surprised, though. They probably knew and decided not to inform you, your Highness." whispered Rikka.

"Hardly a surprise." sighed Shiori. "They are probably hoping I would embarrass myself."

When the British were done shaking hands with their Japanese counterparts and posing for the cameras, they walked to them.

"It gladdens me much to behold thee here, Princess Shiori." declared Richard with a pleasant smile. "Pray tell, when last did we meet?"

"The gala in London three summers ago, Sir Richard." smiled Shiori with a graceful smile and a nod as she let Richard take her hand and give it a quick kiss. "I am glad to see you well."

"To be raised anew from death bringeth certain boons." shrugged Richard. "We are untouched by sickness and do not grow feeble with old age."

Richard let go of Shiori's hand and turned to Noah.

"And here standeth the young hero who undid our designs. I am Richard, called the Lionheart."

"A pleasure to meet you." smiled Noah as he shook the offered hand. "I am Noah Enfield. I hope you won't take what happened personally."

"I shall not bear any grievance." nodded Richard. "Yet we hold great interest in you, and in the manner by which you defeated our host. We shall speak of it more fully at a later hour."

"I wouldn't mind that. I know little about the British Empire and would like to learn more."

Richard nodded and moved on to shake Rikka's hand as William took his place.

When Princess Eleanor followed Edward, Noah decided to return the curtesy Richard and Edward had shown Shiori and bent over to kiss her hand.

"Your presence is a pleasant surprise, Princess Eleanor." smiled Noah.

"I came to acquire some more experience with high-level negotiations." smiled the Princess. "I wish we could meet under more proper circumstances."

"I am sure there will be may opportunities in the future, once the current unpleasantness is over." nodded Noah.

…

The negotiations were as boring as Noah feared.

But at least, the British didn't seem overly eager to let them drag on endlessly. It was actually the Japanese government that was nitpicking over the details and trying to obtain a number of concessions and reparations that even Noah deemed unrealistic.

Still, after six solid hours of negotiations, the British and Japanese had made solid progress, and Noah believed that the peace treaty would be formalized the next day.

The conference came to an end for the day, and the different parties moved to their assigned quarters to rest before the formal dinner that was being prepared.

…

"I'll be back in a few minutes, Shiori-sama." nodded Hatsune before leaving the room.

Shiori stretched before checking her appearance in the mirror, satisfied that nothing had gone wrong during her public appearance. Overall, she was quite satisfied. She had barely spoken a word during the meeting as she simply wasn't in a position to position herself as a representative to the Japanese government at this time. But she would be present in the official photos.

Her position was already much better than it was two weeks ago. She wasn't the forgotten princess anymore, that few people even remembered. Now, everyone that mattered knew she didn't intend to sit quietly on the side.

She had just sent Hatsune to Sakura, the genie controlling the Fort, to ask her to spy a little on the British. They would likely expect it and refrain from divulging any interesting detail even if they thought themselves alone, but it was still worth trying, and…

Three soft knocks at the door interrupted her thoughts.

She walked to the door and opened it, and raised an eyebrow in surprise as she saw Princess Eleanor, alone. Her bodyguard wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Princess Shiori, I was wondering if I could talk to you privately for a few minutes." smiled Eleanor.

Shiori nodded, her interest piqued. It seemed the British had some kind of backroom deal in mind, or maybe wanted to establish a communication channel.

She glanced at the two soldiers standing beside the door. They were watching the British Princess like hawks, but she didn't seem armed.

Shiori quickly evaluated the risks. Hatsune would soon be back, and Shiori had spent years training for combat. She estimated that she could deal with the British princess, should it prove necessary.

"Please come in." smiled Shiori as she stepped back, and Princess Eleanor smiled as she entered the room.

"Would you like some tea?" asked Shiori after the door was closed.

"Thank you, but maybe later." smiled Eleanor, her blue eyes slightly glowing with unnatural light. "For now, I would like for you to acknowledge me, Eleanor, as your master. Bow down before me and pledge your allegiance."

"What rubbish are you…" started Shiori before she realized that she couldn't move. She tried to resist, but her body started moving on her own, kneeling in front of Eleanor. She tried harder, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from Eleanor's eyes. They seemed to fill her vision.

Shiori did her very best to regain control, but it was like trying to stop a landslide with her bare hands.

"I… I swear loyalty to you, Eleanor-sama."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Shiori felt something inside her snap, a feeling of pressure all over her body as if she was squeezed by a giant hand, and just as suddenly as it came, it was gone. Shiori remained with one knee on the ground, waiting for her master's command.

"Stand. If you were to call for Noah, would he visit you alone?"

"Most likely, Eleanor-sama." nodded Shiori as she rose.

"Then please do so. Do not tell him I am here."

Shiori took her smartphone without hesitation and called Noah, asking him to visit alone.

"It is done, Eleanor-sama. However, my attendant Hatsune will return shortly. I sent her to ask the Fort's genie to monitor the members of the British delegation."

"I expected no less." nodded Eleanor approvingly. "You have a lot of potential as a servant, unlike those Chevaliers. I am definitely going to keep you around."

"Thank you, Eleanor-sama." smiled Shiori. She could guess that her master intended to bind Noah to her service just like she had been.

Had she known that Noah was immune to binding curses, she would have informed Eleanor. But she had never actually asked Hatsune for a complete list of the abilities Noah had shared with her, assuming that being overly nosy about the abilities Noah wasn't willingly talking about might compromise her relationship with him.

They waited for less than a minute before someone knocked at the door again, and Eleanor moved into the walk-in closet, closing the door almost all the way.

Shiori opened the other door and invited Noah in.

"Thank you for coming, Noah." smiled Shiori. "I hope my request didn't bother you."

"Not at all, Princess." smiled Noah. "Actually, I was starting to lose patience with their attempts to probe about me and my goals. It's a welcome distraction. Did something happen?"

"Yes, actually. Someone wished to speak to you." smiled Shiori as Eleanor entered the room.

"Oh. Princess Eleanor." nodded Noah. "What do you wish to discuss?"

"I wish for you to acknowledge me as your master, Noah. Now, bow down before me and pledge your allegiance."

Shiori waited expectantly, hoping that Hatsune wouldn't choose this moment to barge in. It would make things complicated.

She expected Noah to bow down any second now, but he only raised an eyebrow at Eleanor, then glanced at Shiori, then back at Eleanor.

"I see." nodded Noah.

Then he smiled.

Shiori suddenly shuddered. There was something in that smile that was downright villainous.

Noah closed the distance to Shiori in a single step and grabbed her left wrist. Understanding that something had gone wrong with her master's attempt, Shiori reached for one of the daggers hidden under her skirt. Before she could touch it, however, she felt a cold wave spreading from her wrist to her whole body in a instant, and her thoughts crashed to a halt.

Shiori flinched. Absolute horror suddenly filled her as she realized what had happened, and just how completely and instantly she had been dominated.

"A certain Princess is going to get a spanking." said Noah with a flat voice.

"Acknowledge me as your master, I said!" commanded Eleanor, her voice suddenly tight with stress, her eyes glowing more intensely than before, and Shiori felt herself falling under her spell again, until another cold wave from Noah's hand on her wrist washed the feeling away, restoring her clarity.

"A huge spanking." added Noah.

Eleanor rushed to the window, opened it, and transformed into a white crow. Before she could fly away, however, she disappeared instantly.

Shiori looked back at Noah, seeing he had his Sanctuary in hand, and understood.

"Noah, I… I am sorry." said Shiori, feeling deep shame.

"It's fine. That curse was downright vicious. Even worse than Psyconnect."

"How did you resist it?"

"Immunity to all kinds of mind manipulation comes with the position. Deities do not like it when their Champions are turned into puppets. I'd ask where Hatsune is, but I found her already." said Noah as he took his smartphone and called someone.

"Kisara, are you alone? Good. I need you in Princess Shiori's room as soon as possible. Thank you."

"You know about what Eleanor did to me?" asked Shiori, and Noah nodded.

"Thinking back, I did not tell you exactly how I got Psyconnect in the first place. Lilith-sama didn't just gift me with immunity, but also with the ability to replicate anything that would trigger said immunity. My body is vulnerable to any attack that would cause injuries and I am not invincible by any means, but I learned Psyconnect and the details of that power the instant someone tried to use it on me. Same with Princess Eleanor's Binding Curse."

"I see. What are you going to…" started Shiori before being interrupted by knocks at the door.

She opened it and Kisara entered.

"You called for me, Noah-sama?"

"Yes. I'm about to enter the Sanctuary and start giving a naughty princess her comeuppance."

"Oh." said Kisara as she shifted her attention to Shiori, who blushed fiercely.

"Not me! Stop being deliberately misleading, Noah-sama!" retorted Shiori, and Noah chuckled.

"Another Princess? Did Eleanor do something bad?" blinked Kisara.

"She used some kind of curse to bring Princess Shiori under her influence and tried to do the same with me. I purged it from Princess Shiori, but she'll need someone to protect her at least until Hatsune comes back, just in case. Please take the Sanctuary into your spatial ring and bring it out in an hour, before dinner."

"Understood, Noah-sama." nodded Kisara.

"Thank you." smiled Noah before giving her the Sanctuary and disappearing.

"Those scums. Should we expose them?" frowned Kisara.

"…No. I think Noah-sama intends to turn Princess Eleanore." sighed Shiori, thinking about Noah had just told her about being able to use Eleanore's own ability. But why did he feel the need to bring her into the Sanctuary, then? "It would be more advantageous for us if the British are not aware their plan failed."

…

When Noah and Eleanor left the Sanctuary an hour later, the British Princess looked decidedly chastised. She had a gleaming chrome-plated collar around her throat, and sheepishly avoided meeting anyone's gaze.

"What did you do with her, Noah-sama?" asked Kisara, not wanting to her Eleanor off the hook.

Noah snapped his fingers, and the collar turned transparent, disappearing from their sight.

"As you saw, I put around her neck a permanent collar." smiled Noah. "It will remain invisible most of the time, but she won't forget its presence and what it means. What you do not see, is that she also has steel chastity panties under her clothes, and I marked her with a Crest that will increase her libido a little. From now on, the Princess is going to behave herself, will not do anything to sabotage the negotiations, and will avoid doing any more shady stuff."

"I won't demand that she acts against the British Empire. That would be cruel. But I will regularly visit her from now on to give my new pet the training she clearly needs."

Eleanor glared at him and looked like she was about to say something, but she suddenly shuddered and lowered her head, blushing further.

Shiori nodded, deciding not to ask about the reason Noah had his smartphone in hand. For once, she didn't have any reservation regarding Noah's methods and only considered the opportunities this offered. Eleanor deserved it.

"Noah-sama, while I was under her influence, Princess Eleanor mentioned the Japanese Chevaliers. It seems they weren't willing traitors after all."

"Yes, we had a conversion about that." nodded Noah. "We will cure the two that are still alive, and I will revive the two who died sometime later. And Rikka will inform the Japanese government about Eleanor's ability."

"Thank you, Noah-sama." said Kisara with sincere gratitude and relief as Rikka nodded. Since Shiori had told her about Eleanor's terrible ability, she had been wracked with doubt and guilt about the 'traitor' she had killed.

"You can revive people?" asked Shiori.

"For a price, so I do not do it often. Please do not spread this around. I don't want to be harassed by desperate people. Anyway, you should leave for now, Princess Eleanor. I do not care if you tell them your scheme has failed or pretend it succeeded."

"…Will you attack the Empire in reprisals?" bitterly asked Eleanor.

"No. I want an end to the conflict. I have no interest in increasing the death toll."

The British Princess nodded and left the room, wanting to be away from those who knew about her shameful predicament.

With her gone, Shiori gathered her courage and looked squarely at Noah. She had made up her mind earlier, but it still wasn't an easy thing to ask. Not when she knew what it entailed.

"Noah-sama, please give me that immunity to mental manipulation as soon as possible."