Chapter 6: Dungeon Crawling

"Tea, Jon?"

"Thank you Red."

You know?  Despite how hot and humid this place is.  Its not that bad.  Team Barton is on a cliff looking over a huge cavern.  Weakly lit by some sort of glowing stones in the ceiling and phosphorescent plants on the ground.

The space is so big there is even a bit of a breeze.  So I'm just standing here, enjoying it, and taking in the sight.

Only took nine hours to reach the Fallen Labyrinth.  Of course took a couple hours to get ready.  So was well after midnight when we rolled into town.

Naturally the entrance guards were a bit freaked out by over fifteen hundred undead marching up.  But after some thoughtful negotiation and the assurance of complete and total fucking annihilation if they got in my way?

Talks were concluded successfully and we marched in to the dungeon.

Even sent word to Blue's Mommy Dearest that the Barton family was taking a vacation in her special place.

Yeah this may not be what most think of when someone says 'dungeon crawling.'  But I've got an undead army.  Would be idiotic to not use it.

I actually have three skeletal carriages.  So for the harem and I?  It really is like a family vacation.  Pretty waterfalls over there?  Well lets take a look.  Neat lit somehow cavern?  Good spot for a picnic.

Isekai sightseeing.

Have to do this again once the kids start popping out.  Really wish I had a camera.

Oh.  New discovery?  Lili can paint.  Pretty good too.

She asked for some materials before we left.  So we got supplies from the school.  When we stop for a new sight?  Sometimes she'll setup a canvas and start painting.  No happy little trees yet though.

Tried to paint me but?  I really wanted to do the George Costanza Pose, nude of course.  And I kept asking her to make my dick bigger.

Never had a painting thrown at me before.  Had to use my magic massaging fingers technique before she would forgive me.

Its not magic.  Really just a back and foot rub.  Have yet to meet a woman who doesn't love a deep back and foot rub.  So its like magic to them.

Unfortunately I don't have the full harem plus one with me.  Its only a week from school beginning so Frosty just couldn't spare the time.  Gave her a parting gift by finally using live rounds and impregnating her.

Of course I let her know and she's over the moon.  Now it might not stick.  So I'll be giving her regular checkups.  Back home human scale wise?  Frosty is in her sixties or seventies.  Maybe even eighties.

So this could be a risky pregnancy.

Midget elf isekai wise?  Could live another century, maybe.  May have to start treating her with [Recovery Magic].  Still not sure though if it really adds to the natural lifespan or just puts a new coat of paint on the old house.

Blue should have stayed back but refused too.  Even offered to knock her up too.  Turned me down.  Still hurting over losing her first one and has already kind of co-opted Red's as her own too.

No way she is letting both me and Red out of her sight for a week or more.

Knew Hitomi really, like really really, wanted to go to Stormgarde.  Get back some of that lost life she loved so much.  I wanted her to have it too.  Actually tried to convince her too stay but.  Well.  Remember that scene from Uncle Buck?1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn7WF3S-4VI

Yeah...  So, Hitomi is here too.

Seriously thought Odaline and Simone would stay behind.  One's a professor and the other a lecturer.  Plus they are on thin ice with Stormgarde already.  Nope.

Stormgarde teachers have 'teaching assistants' that handle the class when they can't.  Sim and Oda already worked out a rough lesson plan for the year, with the TA's, in case something came up.  Which did.

Silvie isn't back from Granya.

Lili the Magnificent Milf?  As mentioned.  Here.

Valaine?  Her and all six of her daughters really wanted to come.

Red?  Please, not a chance of keeping her away.  Probably got another two or three months before the baby belly starts showing up.  Doesn't even have morning sickness yet.  Though if I remember the book from back home right?  Could start any day now.

Yes I've been checking her daily.  From what I can tell, everything still seems to be going smoothly.

Frankie?  Here but, off.  Emotionally distant.  Well, you see?  This raid is also personal for her.  Really personal.

My oppai dark elf has convinced herself that the visions of my son.  The demons defiling and completing her ritual.  All those elites of the kingdom dying.  And me being summoned?  Were all part of the same plan.

Thru our link she feels, sort of, brooding.  She's been used most of her life.  First as a pawn.  Then as a plaything.  What she wanted, ignored or even crushed.  This time though?  She had genuine hope.  My son.

But she got me instead.  My son?  Was a lie.  Bait in her worst trap yet.  She was finally broken by it.  Her heart smashed to pieces.

But I put her heart back together again.  Even if I didn't completely realize it at the time.  In me she found a new purpose.  A new faith.  Even ended up with a mostly new body.

I gave her this.

If it had been my son she summoned?  He could have been destroyed just like the aquecian heroes were.  Frankie couldn't have protected him from that when she couldn't even protect herself.

And if the plan was that extensive?  That complex?  Then how far back does it really go?  How much of my priest-wife's life has been 'according to plan.'

Kind of fucked up, huh?

So, just like Hitomi, what Ushi really wants now?  Is truth.  Whether she can handle the truth?  Don't have a clue.  Not even sure if it will be the 'real' truth, or just another lie.

Yeah, I know.  Like keeping a loaded gun in my pocket with no safety and a round in the chamber.  Never know when she might turn on me again.  But, I'm not entirely sure when I might turn on her again.

We're two wackos sharing the same padded cell and someone left steak knives on the floor.

Hey.  Hers was the first face I saw in this shitty isekai world.  And I've felt how much she really loved my son.  So, you bet I feel protective of her.  Yeah, she's a psycho.  But she's my psycho.

And even if I set all that aside?  She's the only person I know with actual summoning experience.  Which could prove very useful in stopping other rituals or even getting my own ass back home.  Or...  Maybe even, you know, bring the rest of my family here.

Fuck you.  I miss my kids god dammit.  So sue me.

So what if its medieval land.  I've got a fucking castle here with a magic school right next it.  If the time thing part is right?  Could grab them all from right after I was taken.

Give them a better life here than barely middle class, struggling to make ends meet, in a tiny cramped house, there.  My real wife might even understand.  Maybe even forgive me.

All those aches and pains and health issues?  [Recovery Magic] and a mana thick world will clear those right up.  She would understand.  Right?

*hug* *squeeze"

Eh?  Frankie?

Damn.  She's snuck up on me while I was brooding.  Hehe.  Two can play the hugging game, dark elf lady.

Ushi rests her head on my chest while we just stand there, holding each other.  Looking over this massive chamber.  After a bit she tilts her head up and with the sweetest smile says.

"We are going to be okay Jon."

Of course smooches follow.  You can't look at me like that and say something like that and not expect to get lip action.

And of course we have an audience.  Besides the harem plus one?  Not-sebastian and the maidettes came with.  Well most of them.  A few stayed back with mini-butler to keep the Grand Suite in shape.

Foxy came with and as soon as we rolled up sent a flurry of messages out.  Ever since?  Teams of adventurers and porters regularly go by.  Harvesting and processing our kills and cleared areas.

Everyone is getting a cut so its good money all round.  And while Fallen Labyrinth is low mana so the materials are not very rare?  They are rare enough to still turn a healthy profit.

Plus with all the money Daddy Dearest blew for the Game Day Raid?  House Chastel could really use the revenue right now.

Red and Foxy are coordinating.  If Lili is my secretary and Frankie is my priest?  Red's my commander.  Always at my side whenever the generals meet.  Wants to be more than my knight.  Wants to be my top general.

Edel's been doing a ton of reading on tactics and strategy.  Started taking over the military meetings and I let her.  Of course they are all linked to me.  All feel my goal.  They just need to figure out the best and fastest way to make it happen.

And since adventurers and porters are going in harms way?  That puts them under Red's jurisdiction.  Foxy acts as the liason and makes sure they are going to the right places and staying away from the skellies.

Oh, and speaking of roles.  Blue really wants to be the top wizard in the harem party.  Even though Frankie is much stronger?  She's got this whole cult thing, puppet-master thing, and being my personal anything anywhere anytime slave thing going on.

So Blue is working on her magic.  A lot.

Simone and Odaline are both sorceresses.  Yet feel more comfortable in an advisory, counseling, style role.  Escaping from sex slavery has made them really want to be the nurturing kind of teachers.

Instead of the devouring kind casanova turned them into.

Oh and while not in the harem?  Both Clari and Milti are back at school.  Prepping for classes.  They seem to be getting along well.  And Perrin stayed with Clari while Juri stayed with Milti.

So I guess I am in the market for a new champion.  A new sword?  Or would they be a new, shield?  Both?

Maybe Hitomi would be up for it but she still has ninja on the brain.

You know?  Now that I think about it?  My only fighter type chick, is Red.  Yeah, not worried about it because I'm a swordmage.  But harem balance seems to be heavily weighted to the magic side.

Need to get some melee women to balance the harem out.

Memo to self:  Find buff hotties.  But not too buff.  More the hint of muscle like Red.  I like muscle lines on the ladies.  Don't like them bulging all over.  The only thing that should bulge on a babe is the boobs.

I give Frankie one last squeeze then reach over, getting a handful of Red's butt.

"Time to go ladies."

We haven't been here a whole day yet and are already down to the fifth floor.  I have no desire to clear the whole dungeon.  Just going to make a nice wide path down to the bottom floor.

I'm sure it will get tougher as we head lower.  Wait.  Who?  Emelina?

Red immediately interrogates.  She's know where the shadow paladins should be.  Goes into guard mode too.  Stepping in front of me.  Can feel Frankie channeling mana.

"Paladin Emelina.  Why have you left your area and why have you brought locals before our lord?"

Red leaves off the part about Emelina walking up as a half-dead.  Honestly I'm a bit surprised too.  Emelina has gone thru a lot of bodies since Milti and Juri were discovered.  I'm kind of used to it.

As long as the living half doesn't trip any of my alarms?  I started mostly tuning it out.  This is the first time she's brought anyone to me.  And they just merged an eight-hour or so ago.  Must be someone special.

"My Lady of Fire and beloved Lord."  Her having an actual voice now seems weird.  "While in action, we discovered these survivors being pursued by orcs."  She motions to herself and the children.

"Then return them to their homes, captain."  Red is suspicious.

Dealing with the undead's orders is Red's turf, so Frankie stays quiet.

The half-dead bows.  While she does I start taking a closer look at her new half.

"I apologize, general.  We found their village being ravaged by orcs.  It appeared the remaining villages were in the midst of being, violated.  Unfortunately, the skeleton legion found the village first."

Ah.  That means everyone's dead.  Not sure why the skeletons started hating the living this much.  Maybe its a side effect of the way I'm creating them?  Do need to take a closer look at that.

"Captain.  I made it clear we are not here to save the fallen.  Instead you bring a woman and children to our Lord?"

Can tell Emelina is unfazed.  Her living half is nervous though.  Pretty gutsy too.  Interesting...  Nice tits.

"General.  This woman is exceptional and I found her to be a good match.  She accepts our beloved Lord's greatness.  So with her I state my desire to satisfy His spirit and body.  Become His mistress, concubine, and even wife."

Red looks at me, waiting for my answer.  Its obvious what Emelina wants done with the kids.  They can be maid trainees or something.  Hmm...  Should do this right.

Walk forward and Emelina immediately drops to her knees.  Wrap my mana around them.  The half-dead starts trembling.  What I see?  A beautifully simple straightforward girl.

I kneel in front of her so we can see eye to eye.  Cute.  She keeps trying to avoid my eyes.  I cup her face and pull her forward.  Give her a slow deep tender kiss.

When I finally let her lips go, her mouth is still moving.  Such a pretty blush.

"What is your name?"

She seems a bit dazed.  Has she never kissed before?

"M...  M.  Miyula."

Oh my.  Both Emelina and Miyula seem a bit overwhelmed right now.

"Do you accept me?"

"..."

Eyes start focusing but are still, befuddled.  Her mouth is moving but no words are coming out.  Was this Emelina's first kiss too?  Finally she manages a nod.  Definitely looking into my eyes now.

"Then I accept you.  Welcome, Miyula."

Emelina (living shadow (female, human, tourinese))

Miyula (female, beastkin, barbarian)