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2024-10-29 19:42:56I had no idea where I was and everyone around me was either fleeing or shouting at me in a language I didn’t understand. Five men in brown leather armor with swords at their hips cautiously crept forward and started fanning out around me. They each wore a patch emblazoned with the black and white profile of a woman’s face over a sky blue background.
I backpedaled and raised my hands in what I hoped was a calming gesture.
One of the men pointed at me and shot out a string of heated, foreign words.
My back thumped against the door. “Hey, guys, I’m just as confused as you are.”
Their aggressive postures didn’t relax and no comprehension showed on their faces.
What the hell are you doing? They clearly don’t understand you…
One of the men barked something and was answered with the rasps of swords being unsheathed as the men drew their weapons.
Flight won out over fight as I spun around and wrenched open the sturdy wood door. I slammed it shut behind me and found myself in a tavern.
My eyes darted over the pub as I looked for a way out.
It was deserted, half full mugs sat atop round tables scattered around the room, and the remains of unfinished meals lay abandoned on the grungy bar. My eyes locked onto a door set in the far wall with windows revealing sunlit stone on either side.
My feet thumped against the floorboards as I charged forward, awkwardly having to weave between tables and chairs to get across the room.
Behind me the front door burst open and more meaningless shouting preceded the stomping of boots as my pursuers gave chase.
A mug sailed past my head and shattered one of the nearby windows as I shouldered the backdoor open.
An alleyway. The right was a deadend, so I whirled around and sprinted towards the other end.
I emerged onto a street and was met with more shouting and screaming. Two new men in brown leather armor stood sentry on my left at the end of the street. Our eyes met and they shot towards me. Boots clattered in the alleyway as my original pursuers emerged from the tavern.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
I wheeled to my right to make a break for it and found a grizzled man standing in my shadow. He hadn’t been there less than two seconds ago and the impossibility of his sudden presence made my brain freeze up like an overloaded computer.
His mouth formed a severe line as he narrowed his stone gray eyes. He wore the same leather armor as the people chasing me, but with the addition of a long coat the color of soot. Upon the breast of the outer garment was the same patch as the other men, except with silver embroidery and forest green behind the profile of the woman.
Long, pointed ears poked out from his mane of salt and pepper hair.
His fist slammed into my face and I was out before hitting the cobblestone.
***
I groaned as my blurry eyes sluggishly opened. My head throbbed like it was being filled with lava and was getting close to bursting.
I was slumped over a cold metal table, the side of my face felt bruised and painful as it rested atop the smooth surface.
I firmly blinked a few times to try clearing my vision before sitting up.
A small windowless room constructed from stone with a single door set into the far wall. Shadows danced across the walls, directed by the solitary lantern hanging by a chain from the ceiling. The man who’d knocked me out leaned back in the chair across from me, a black folder sitting before him on the table.
My eyes drifted to his elven ears and a delirious giggle popped out of me.
Or maybe not a man? Sure, why not? Looks like elves are a thing!
Links of metal rattled as I tried to hold my pain-filled head. I had been shackled, the chain attached to the manacles around my wrists threaded through a hole in the table to presumably attach to the floor.
The man raised an eyebrow and studied me as though I were an interesting bug.
“My head…” I grumbled as I thumped my elbow atop the table and placed my forehead against my palm. The painful pulsing had grown more forceful since getting upright.
I heard the rustling of leather before the man said something in a rough voice that matched his weathered appearance.
I looked up and saw a plain iron ring in his outstretched palm. He insistently offered it to me and said something else, his tone shifting into annoyance.
The iron felt cool against my skin as I plucked the ring from his palm. He pointed at my fingers before rumbling out another few words that were easy to interpret as a command.
My eyes narrowed at the ring in suspicion.
This guy was clearly not my friend, and the thought of doing what he wanted after maybe giving me a concussion rubbed me the wrong way.
However, after a moment of consideration, I let out a weary sigh and stomped out the budding idea of refusal.
What’re you going to do? Throw it like a kid chucking their chicken nuggets against the wall? You’re chained up in a room with no windows… If he really wants me to put it on, it’ll happen whether I want it to or not.
I slipped the metal band around my right ring finger, and as soon as I did, it gently tightened around the digit until it fit perfectly.
I stared at it slack-jawed as my throbbing headache and fuzzy mind congealed into a growing tide of nausea. Pointy ears and suddenly appearing assholes could be potentially explained… but hard matter shrinking to this degree was a whole other thing, and it made the gears of my view of what’s possible to grind and screech.
“Hey, outworlder, you understand me?” the elf asked.
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Harem Ethics 101 03. So... It's Magic?
“Huh?” I stared blankly at the elf. “I’ll take that as a yes…” “Y-you speak English?” “I don’t know what that is. We’re speaking Myrian,” he said in a detached matter-of-fact tone. “I… are you sure? I’m no–” Impatience leaked into his voice as he cut me off and pointed to the band of iron around my finger. “The ring translates your speech into Myrian and allows you to understand it. It also filters your perception so you hear yourself and others speak in your native tongue.” The machinery which governed my view of what’s possible broke down. I decided to just roll with it and worry about the busted thing in my head later. If I was dreaming then that’s cool, I’ll wake up eventually… And if I was going crazy I might as well hang out with the imaginary fantasy dude. It’d be nice if this fucking headache would go away though... “So, it’s magic? Is it also changing how I see your mouth move to match with what I hear?” I asked. “You’re thinking too hard about this.” “I think
Harem Ethics 101 04. Me, Myself, and I
I’d spent the next three days in a barred wagon with a thick, black cloth tarp firmly fixed in place over it. The obsidian fabric had let just enough light pass through it to dimly illuminate my surroundings, but wasn’t sheer enough to see outside. Inside the cage, there had only been an itchy straw mattress and a bucket. And my only contact with any other people had been when the same three guards delivered my ‘food’ each day. One with the tray while the other two pointed spears. I’d mentally named them ‘Bitchy Spice’, ‘Garbage Spice’, and ‘Martin’. Bitchy Spice because he’d constantly bitched about everything, Garbage Spice because he smelt like garbage, and Martin because he just looked like a Martin to me. All three had one thing in common though: No matter who brought the tray, it’d always ended up ‘accidentally’ falling to the floor, sending most of the ‘food’ splattering across the planks. All three men had cackled each time as though they were comedic pioneers fine-tuning
Harem Ethics 101 05. Welcome to Stone Lock
My nerves flickered into fascination as I took in the young woman who opened the door. Messy black hair flowed just past her shoulders. Impenetrable darkness covered the entirety of her eyes, not a hint of color or white sclera to be seen. Flawless, smooth skin the color of unblemished paper. A face composed of elegant, sharp facial features completed by inviting lips of an extremely light gray. Long, elven ears poked out from her mane of soft hair. A pale shoulder peeked out from a loose-fitting scarlet sweater, while the tips of her toes were just visible from the baggy midnight-blue pants. Both garments were made from a thick fabric that looked soft to the touch. My eyes dragged momentarily as I noticed the vague outline of her breasts and slender hips. It was as though she were a monochromatic inked illustration that’d come to life before donning the uniform of one on a mission to eat ice cream and binge a show they’ve seen a million times. She blinked sleepily at us. “
Harem Ethics 101 06. So... It's Just Us Here Then?
“Fifty-three years!?” I sputtered. I’d had the impression that outworlders weren’t super common, but isn’t this a jail or something for outworlders? And there hasn’t been one to come through in at least fifty-three years? But also… “There’s no way you’re a day over thirty…” I said, unable to hide my mixture of surprise and suspicion. Her attempt at professionalism cracked as she snickered. “I’m a shadow primal and am magically gifted, I age slowly.” “Oh…” I said, “What’s a shadow primal?” “My… aren’t we curious?” she teased, seeming to grow more relaxed as she tentatively let her tone thaw into something less coolly detached. “A shadow primal is the offspring of a human or elf and a shadow elemental.” “How does that work?” I asked, the image of a dude unsuccessfully trying to bang a shadow cropping up in my imagination. “I think I’ll decline on explaining the finer details about the coupling between my parents…” “Fair enough.” I chuckled, pleased that she seemed to prefer a
Harem Ethics 101 07. Strip, Mr. Northgate
She drifted forward languidly and sat on the bench a few feet from me, her inky-black gaze never leaving me as a light pink rose in her cheeks. “Is this a recent policy…?” I asked. “It is… But within these walls, ‘policy’ is whatever I see fit.” Her lips curled into a coy smile. “And right now I find it prudent to verify you aren’t bringing anything dangerous into my prison… Now strip, Mr. Northgate.” The gym had been one of my favorite ways to alleviate some of the dread I felt while at university because it had always been as though I were physically pushing out my worries with every rep. But the other benefits were all I cared about at this moment. My aroused grin matched hers as I pulled off my dirty t-shirt to reveal my toned torso. The way her eyes hungrily roamed my chest told me everything I needed to know. Her attention slid towards the outline of my growing erection. “Those as well,” she said in a warm, silky voice, nodding at my jeans as she bit her bottom lip. Fuck
Harem Ethics 101 08. Alright, Hit Me with the Exposition...
An hour later, I descended the stairs leading to the ground floor of Stone Lock, my body clean and my mind clear once again. Warden Ivory was draped gracelessly across one of the couches, reading her smutty novel. She snapped it shut and sat up as I approached. Her solid black eyes turned to me and her mouth curled into a knowing smile. “What took you so long?” “I had some frustration I needed to vent…” I parked myself on the cushion beside hers and leaned back with a satisfied grown as I let my relaxed body slide down. “It’s been forever since I had a chance to sit my ass down on something not made of wood.” “I’m glad it’s to your liking,” she snickered. I rolled my head to the side to look at her and offer a grin. “So, what now?” “Now we talk about magic.” “Finally!” Giddy eagerness filled me in a way I hadn’t felt since I was a kid and found out where my parents hid the Christmas presents. I sat up and repositioned myself to face her more directly. A warm smile formed on
Harem Ethics 101 09. There's Only so Many Slimes in a Forest...
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Harem Ethics 101 10. A Bit More Complicated…
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- Harem Ethics 101
175. What Kind of Game?
“What do you mean?” I asked, thinking I knew already, but wanting to hear her say it to avoid any possibility of misunderstanding. “What kind of game?”. “A game where we can explore darker urges,” she said, eyes and voice smoldering with arousal. “For you see, on occasion it can be fun to allow someone to feel that rush of power all people secretly want.” My cock demanded action as my guts surged with excited energy, and my mind agreed. I grinned at her. Want to play at being a nice submissive demi-empyrean for me?” Holding my gaze, she slipped her hand from mine and rose from her seat. Her bare feet padded lightly against the floor as she took a few paces away from me. I shifted in my seat and watched her. Focus going to the window framed by her wings to enjoy the way her hips and skirt swayed with her steps. I only caught hints of its outline because of the loose lower half of the sundress, but need surged as I thought of the juicy, firm ass I knew awaited me. My cock flexed
- Harem Ethics 101
MegaNovel Discord and Release Schedule
Hey, folks. I'll be hanging out on the MegaNovel Discord. Feel free to let me know what you think about the book. Or about whatever else... argue with me about the sex ethics of the characters in the book, tell me you want to focus on story, more sex scenes, more talking, or if you want to just chat about whatever. I also take requests for scenes and might work them in if I can make them fit. As for my release schedule. I'm working on another project right now (it's going to be a traditional novel and be released elsewhere), but my plan is to work on Harm Ethics when I can. So I'll try and get a chapter or two out when I find time to write it. Thanks for reading this far!
- Harem Ethics 101
174. What Do You Think of Harems, Lysandra?
Sitting beside Lysandra at the long dining table, our hands clasped its surface, my heart quickened as I stared into her glowing amber eyes. This was it. She was going to agree to join the harem. A coy smile curled her lips. “The general rules I remember, but I would like a deeper understanding of this harem before I submit myself to yours and Saelia’s judgment of whether I am accepted as a full member.” My desire to cement mine and Saelia’s relationship with Lysandra pulsed in my heart and mind. She seemed to want to play games though… Or was this some kind of final reality check to see if she could accept everything that went with being part of the harem? My already stiff cock throbbed as though threatening me with vengeance if I didn’t seal the deal. I wanted her bad… but it’d break mine and Saelia’s hearts if she grew resentful and angry being in the harem. So I needed her to be absolutely certain she wanted to join. “What do you think of harems, Lysandra?” I asked. “Reall
- Harem Ethics 101
173. Obvious to Anyone and Everyone
Lysandra shifted uncomfortably across from me at the long dining table of Stone Lock. My rebuttal to her demand that I tell Saelia I loved her by telling her she should do the same seemed to put her on edge. “The past few days she’s been so unwell,” she said, uncertainty slipping into her eyes, “and I’ve admittedly been uncertain if I can fully recommit my heart to her as well.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, suppressing frustration at seeing her dawdling at the finish line when they were so close to patching things up.” Lysandra furrowed her brow, seeming to consider how to best answer my question. Feeling like I was diffusing a bomb and one wrong suggestion might make her overthink everything, I carefully prodded further. “Look, I don’t know exactly what happened between you two, but is it really something you don’t feel like you can’t move past?” A spark of emotion came to life in her amber eyes, and she pursed her lips. After considering for a moment longer, she si
- Harem Ethics 101
172. There's Something You Must Do
Over the next three days, Lysandra had used me like a sexual chew toy to relieve her frustration over Saelia not letting us sleep in her room and my deflections when asked why. Fortunately, though, this frustration didn’t bleed into her dedication to her mission to improve my proficiency with my left hand and my ability to conjure items under pressure. Saelia had mostly slept, but came down like she promised whenever she was awake. During this time, she’d mostly recovered from her spiritual overdraft, and with this, she gradually returned to being her usual cheery self. Part of me was relieved to see her mood lift. However, my worry for her had not eased, because she still hadn’t told me what’d happened in New Venice. Waiting had been frustrating, but this morning Lysandra had said she believed Saelia would likely be fully recovered by the time dinner rolled around. Tonight was the night… I just wished I could fast forward time to get there faster. Lysandra, Saelia, and I sa
- Harem Ethics 101
171. Rush
Lysandra charged at me from across the far side of Stone Lock’s main room. The excitement and burning power in her eyes made my heart thunder in my chest as flustered panic grew in me. Unlike Saelia, Lysandra didn’t zigzag or attempt anything resembling a tactical approach. Instead, she simply rushed towards me like a raging bull. I leveled the barrel of my gun and unloaded all six rounds into her. Each hit created splatters of glowing blue liquid on her chest, stomach, shoulder, and cheek. By the time I’d fired my last bullet, she’d closed the distance between us to no more than ten feet. There wouldn’t be time to reload, so I dropped the gun. As the empty firearm fell, I tossed the wooden breacher from my non-dominant left hand to my right. But before my fingers could even wrap around the handle, Lysandra was in arm’s reach. She swiped at me lazily with a slow hook. Just grabbing my dagger in time, I ducked the attack, feeling as thought I’d just dodged a baseball bat despite
- Harem Ethics 101
170. Cozy Library
The declaration that she wanted to train had caught me off guard, considering we’d almost died last night, but when I’d processed what she’d said, a smile curved my lips. With the entrance exam for Chromaryn Academy approaching and after getting my ass beat by Faelius and Mark, I was determined to get stronger. So, when the angelic woman told me she wanted to train, I’d deferred feeing her until later and instead bubbled with eager excitement as I followed her from the library. Because I’d forgotten to ask for permission to unlock the front door to Stone Lock, Lysandra and I had settled for the open space between the entrance and the lounge. The warm light of the constellation of sun shards hanging from the stone ceiling felt like afternoon sunshine on my skin. I wore conjured black combat fatigues, boots, and a t-shirt. The only part of my armor I wore was my belt and gun holster. I hadn’t yet gotten around to cleaning the blood and grime off the rest. About half a dozen feet
- Harem Ethics 101
169. Cozy Library
Closing the door behind me, I stepped into Stone Lock’s cozy library. At the room’s center, Lysandra sat at a table beneath a cluster of sun shards hanging from the ceiling. Book in hand, her eyes trailed across the pages as she read. When I entered, her attention slid to me. “She is asleep, right?” “Yup, out cold. She said she’ll come down whenever she wakes up.“ I pulled out a chair and sat down at the square table. Remembering my promise to Saelia not to tell Lysandra about our conversation, I tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. My mouth curved into a teasing grin at the angelic woman and I nodded at the book. “‘The Needful Elf’? You and Saelia really do enjoy cultured literature.” “Yes, I do. What is it to you?” she said, a hint of sheepish defensiveness coloring her expression. “Nothing,” I said with a small chuckle. “You just don’t seem like the type.” “Oh? What ‘type’ am I?” she asked, a hint of annoyance and challenge creeping into her voice.
- Harem Ethics 101
168. You Won't Understand...
Sitting next to Saelia in the pitch blackness of her room, I stared at her blindly. “That’s not true!” The incredulous response from my heart bypassed my brain and rushed straight out of my mouth. “Mark doesn’t know shit!” “No, he does…” Frustrated anger simmered in me. It threatened to boil over at the way she was talking about herself, but I managed to stifle the urge to righteously dismiss the ridiculous claims. Instead, I attacked the root of the problem. “What happened in New Venice is the reason you won’t use your Scorcher magic, right?” Wimpers leaked from her as her effort to control her voice wavered. “Yes…” “It’s the reason you feel like this?” “Yes…” “Alright, tell me what happened. I’ll tell you after if I think you’re a monster or not.” “Please… Don’t make me do this…” My heart tensed at the quivering fear in her exhausted voice, but I pressed forward. “I don’t think you’re a monster… but this seems to be the only way I can think of to convince you of it.” “Y
