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2024-10-29 19:42:56“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 I have a concussion, do you have healing magic or something?”
“No.” Then after a moment of consideration, he let out a sigh and reached into a pouch fixed to his belt. He produced a small vial the size of a double-A battery. It contained a glowing azure liquid. “Here.”
I accepted it and relished the refreshing chill of the potion seeping into my fingers through the glass container. “So… this a healing potion or something?”
“Yes. Drink it.”
I shrugged before pulling out the stopper and downing the thin liquid.
A soothing cold pooled in my stomach before flowing throughout my body. The sensation drained away moments later, taking the pounding headache and bruising on my face with it.
“Shit…” My manacles and chains rattled as I felt my face and marveled at the sudden relief and lack of brain agony. Not only that, I also felt energized. “Thanks.”
“It’s technically part of my duties to ensure the health of those in my charge,” he said dismissively. “Now, do you know where you are?”
I couldn’t help but sulk a bit at the deflection of my gratitude. “No…”
“You’re in the country of Myris. Do you know why you are being detained?”
“Public indecency?” I joked, recalling my hard-on in the town square.
“No… Due to the strange language you spoke, your odd attire, and how you appeared seemingly from nowhere, you’re being detained on suspicion of being an outworlder.”
I looked down at my t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Then I turned my attention to his leather armor and wrinkled sleet-gray coat and narrowed my eyes.
Yeah… I look weird… totally…
“I don’t know what an ‘outworlder’ is…”“It’s what we call those not from this world. Am I wrong in my assumption?”
I couldn’t really disagree, considering I’d just drank a literal healing potion. “Uh, yeah, guess so.”
“Excellent.” He opened the black folder in front of him to reveal a single sheet of paper within. His hand reached once again into a pouch before pulling out a well crafted metallic pen.
“No quill or bottle of ink?”
His brow furrowed in bemusement. “What?”
“Don’t you guys use quills and stuff?”
He pointedly ignored my question by asking one of his own. “What’s your name?
“Bryan.”
He let out a tired sigh. “Last name as well…”
“Northgate.” I let a tiny smile form as I enjoyed a childish flutter of satisfaction at his annoyance.
His pen scratched against the paper. “Age?”
“Nineteen.”
“Height?”
“Six foot three inches,” I said before an idea popped into my head. I sifted through my memories of elementary school to try remembering how to convert freedom units into metric. “One-ninety-and-a-half centimeters.”
“You don’t need to repeat yourself…” He said absentmindedly while he filled out other sections of the form, glancing up at me occasionally as he did.
I guess the ring really does translate everything…
The pen clunked against the metal table as he put it down before reaching into another pouch.
How many pouches does this guy have?
He revealed a thin deck of cards and placed it between us. “Shuffle it and reveal the top two cards.”
“Sure...” I picked them up and shuffled. As I did, a tingling warmth danced along my fingers and up my forearms, making my arm hairs stand on end.
I slid two cards from the top and placed them face-up on the table before putting the remainder down nearby.
The first card depicted a beautiful woman sitting alone in a gazebo surrounded by a lush garden. Her enticingly curvy frame was draped comfortably over a high-backed armchair as she read a book.
The other showed a tall man in a tailored suit standing alone in what looked to be an armory. He inspected an elegant blade covered in intricate inscriptions.
“I see.” The elf scrawled something on his form.
“You see what?” A hint of my own irritation crept in at the elf’s vagueness.
“You’re a Spiritsmith,” he said with the utmost disinterest.
I released a puff of aggravation. “Okay… what is that?”
“Something I’m not paid to explain to you.” He shut the folder and scooped up the cards before putting them and the pen away. His voice then took on a tone which suggested a memorized speech was at work. “You will be sent to an outworlder holding facility until the freshmen admissions tests for Chromaryn Academy. You are to take part and assuming you are admitted, you will then be expected to attend the academy.”
I gave him a flat stare.
“Due to the chaotic, violent, and depraved nature frequently observed in outworlders, this is an expectation set upon you to demonstrate your ability to operate respect a predefined set of rules, show you are not a danger to society, and to become a more capable citizen of Myria. Should you fail to gain admittance, fail to advance from any of the four grades, or are expelled, you will be summarily executed.”
“What?” I asked, hoping something had gotten twisted in translation
He rose and rounded the table as he reached into his coat to reveal a key. “Do you require clarification?”
The chains clattered to the table as he released a lock affixing them to the metal links connecting my manacles. His fingers closed around my arm before dragging me to my feet.
“What do you mean summarily executed?!”
“Executed without delay.”
“That’s bullshit! I haven’t done anything even remotely wrong eno–”
Pain shot through my arm as his grip tightened, ceasing my indignant protests with a visceral reminder of my situation. It was compelling evidence that this was neither a dream or a delusion.
The mask of reserved professionalism cracked as he narrowed his eyes at me. “If I had it my way, you’d be cut down here and now, you whiny fuck… You outworlders are no better than monsters…” Bitter resentment crept in as his hushed threat shifted into a snarl. “You should be grateful I don’t gut you here and now.” The leather grip of the dagger at this hip creaked as his free hand closed around it in a white-kunckled squeeze. “Nobody would doubt my word if I claimed you attacked me…”
I froze like a mouse pinned beneath the claws of a cat. His glare radiated hate and sincerity. He’d do it, and he’d lose no sleep over it. What the fuck was I thinking acting like a smartass?
My heart thudded wildly as the image of my guts spilling out onto the stone floor took center stage in my mind’s eye.
I winced as the pressure on my arm built.
People have been disappearing…
In the strange way moments of clarity can crystalize in times of panic, my brother's words echoed in my mind as my dumbass brain finally put it together.
The elf’s grip on his dagger released and his grasp loosened up on my bicep. The spite in his face receded as his expression once again froze over into cool detachment. “Howeve, I am a man of the law…”
I had yet to unfuck the railways on which my brain’s trains of thought traveled and could only stare stupidly at him.
“You will now be transferred to the outworlder holding facility,” he said, dragging me towards the exit. “At which time you will finally cease being my problem…”
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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...
“Relax,” she giggled. Her snow-white fingers closed around the worn leather wrapped handle as she pulled the knife free. The blade was about eight inches in length and made from a dull silvery metal that didn’t reflect the light of the crystals illuminating the room. Its razor sharp edges were symmetrical, elegantly curving towards one another to form a lethal point. “This is a ‘breacher’,” she said as she casually flipped it in her hand to catch the flat of the blade before offering me the hilt. The grip felt as it looked against my fingers: Thoroughly used. The relatively small weapon was also heavier than I expected. “Why’s it so heavy?” “It’s crafted from a dense metal known as anmian; a favorite among alchemists due to its durability and suitability for enchanting.” The strange metal pulled my gaze as though they were oppositely charged magnets. Not a hint of texture stained its smooth surface and no matter how I shifted it, not a drop of light was caught in the flat silvery
Harem Ethics 101 10. A Bit More Complicated…
The warden's palms came up in the universal pantomime for ‘slow down, buddy’. “One at a time, Bryan,” she laughed. “No, it's not possible for someone to gain more fate aspects. There are seven fate aspects and nine divine aspects. I’ve got books for you to look at later outlining the different classes. As for getting divine aspects… that’s a bit more complicated.” “What do you mean?” “The way most of them get one is by being granted one by a god. This usually happens when a god takes an interest in someone’s birth for one reason or another and blesses them with the divine aspect associated with their domain when they’re born. For instance, the goddess of fire would give the flame divine aspect. However, gods have also been known to grant a divine aspect when someone impresses them somehow.” “How so?” “Oh, it depends on the god. The god of light might grant his divine aspect to someone who makes a great discovery, the god of earth might bestow one to a person who tends to a forest…
Harem Ethics 101 11. Is it Time for Magic?
The glowing crystal embedded in the ceiling was dead, and impenetrable darkness reigned in my cell… But I knew what stood at the foot of my bed. It was a monolith of hate and fury. Its oppressive displeasure weighed heavily in the air and I dared not move for fear of provoking its wrath. “You have been foolish, Bryan…” It communicated not in words, but in booming thoughts which invaded my mind. “I-I know…” I said, “but I promise it will all be worth it–” “Silence!” My mouth clamped shut at its command. It’s will was inevitable and the idea of resisting felt as foolish as trying to melt an oncoming iceberg with a space heater. “You have wronged yourself! You have wronged the beautiful warden! But worst of all…” Lightning illuminated the windowless cell, followed by the crack of thunder. The cold light revealed my dick looming over me like a dark, primal god. “You have wronged me!” My cock then murdered me. I’m not clear on how, but I know with absolute certainty that it did
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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
